Contributor: Lindsay Murphy

Josette was able to rebuild her small business, which provides essential medical supplies, quickly thanks to Mercy Corps and Fonkoze's MiCRO platform. Photo: Courtesy of Fonkoze

Micro-entrepreneurs like Josette are the backbone of Haiti's economy. Only two weeks after the 2010 earthquake, many were trying to get back to business. Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps

The sole provider for her children since she lost her husband in the earthquake, Josette's hard work for her family and her community is now protected. Photo: Courtesy of Fonkoze

Haiti is a land of micro-entrepreneurs. In every town, on every street, shopkeepers, traders and craftsmen are working hard to provide their communities with the essential goods and services of daily life — and in so doing, lift their own families from poverty.

In the remote village of Nathan, located in the southwestern part of Haiti, health services are limited. The nearest hospital is over two hours away and access to even basic first aid supplies requires a trip to the city of Les Cayes.

With training as a nurse, 48-year old Josette saw an opportunity for her family and community.

So three years ago, she applied for a loan with local microfinance institution Fonkoze, and opened her small business selling basic pharmaceuticals, such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen and rehydration salts.

Making a comeback — twice

Josette also quickly became the first to see when one became ill, and during the rainy season — when cholera outbreaks flare up more frequently — she would be on call 24 hours a day to offer immediate emergency care before people could get to the hospital.

Then the devastating earthquake of 2010 hit; Josette lost her husband and instantly became the sole provider for her three children. Her family and neighbors were dependent on her business to keep them healthy and moving forward.

And she made it work.

But just a year and a half later, in June 2011, heavy rains pummeled the southern part of Haiti, resulting in widespread flooding and mudslides that damaged many businesses. Josette lost three-quarters of her inventory, which threatened to ruin her livelihood. Instead of going under, however, Josette and nearly 4,000 other female business owners got help.

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Mercy Corps is giving Haitian business owners like 46-year-old Morse Alexis the support they need to keep their enterprises going. Photo: Fabiola Coupet/Mercy Corps

Two years after the devastating earthquake, small businesses are more crucial for Haiti’s economy than ever before.

In every town, on every street, shopkeepers, traders and craftsmen are working hard to provide their communities with the essential goods and services of daily life - and in so doing, lift their families from poverty. These small-scale entrepreneurs are vital in helping Haiti recover and rebuild after the terrible earthquake in 2010.

Yet these small business owners live day-to-day, with little cushion against unexpected shocks like natural disasters or a family member’s illness. When they’re knocked down by bad fortune, they often lack the resources to get up again. Haiti is especially vulnerable to catastrophes that can erase, in a moment, the years of labor a person has already invested in building a more secure life.

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Louis Erivene, the local leader of the rural Lasienne zone, is helping connect Mercy Corps to remote communities to spread messages on how to prevent cholera and distribute water-purification tablets. Photo: Lindsay Murphy/Mercy Corps

Cholera has become an everyday reality in Haiti. It’s not something we see in the U.S., but people in countries without reliably clean water can acquire this nasty intestinal infection, which can be fatal if left untreated. Its prevalence in Haiti has dropped by two-thirds since the fall 2010 outbreak, but it remains a large, looming public-health threat. And it won’t be eradicated until Haiti has a better sanitation system in place.

That’s why Mercy Corps is still working in Port-au-Prince and in the countryside to teach better hygiene practices and ensure that people have drinkable water.

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Today's art therapy project: create and decorate paper Christmas trees!

In a small classroom on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, 16 children are hard at work on today's art therapy project: create and decorate paper Christmas trees!

Bina Charles, a Mercy Corps-trained art therapy mentor, distributes scissors, glue, colourful paper and glitter to the kids — boys and girls ranging in age from 9 to 16. They're here as part of a Mercy Corps youth programme that combines storytelling, art therapy and photography to help them reflect on their past and imagine a better future.

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I have been in Haiti for a mere 36 hours and have already waded through a river, trekked through rice fields, climbed mountains and stumbled upon a buzzing open market in a remote village in the Central Plateau.

A kind soul I met along the journey who helped me safely cross the river on foot. Photo: Lindsay Murphy/Mercy Corps

I was spending the day with the director of our economic recovery program and staff from Fonkoze – Haiti's leading microfinance institution. We were visiting women entrepreneurs who've borrowed money from Mercy Corps' microfinance partner. Each is protected by Haiti's first-of-its-kind insurance policy that gives them a safety net in the case of a natural disaster.

Haiti's economic growth depends on small-scale entrepreneurs. Because of their limited means, they assume huge risks, and there's little or no financial protection if something happens -- like an earthquake -- to shut down their business temporarily. They and their families would enjoy greater financial security if they were insured.

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