Invited by the Centre for the Development Enterprise (CDE), Marie-Roberte Laurent, Aid to Artisans’ consultant for the soap-making project, spoke on behalf of the women soap-makers from Mirebalais, Haiti, at the Expanding Economic Opportunities for Women Farmers and Entrepreneurs in the Caribbean and the Pacific Forum during the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) held in Guyana on October 8, 2013.
The purpose of the forum was to raise the issue of economic empowerment of women amongst the policy-makers in the region, discussing the strengthening inter-regional linkages in areas including women’s producers and entrepreneurs contribution to food and nutrition security; linking local and regional production to the tourism industry and boosting agro-tourism, developing niche markets which add value to indigenous products and build upon local traditions, regional branding and positioning. A part will be devoted to strengthening the existing networks in the region and identify needs for capacity building and training.
During the “Adding Value and Regional Identity through Marketing and Branding” portion of the forum, Laurent, president of Belzeb, Inc., and Sylvanie Donne Joseph, vice president of Pwodiksyon Fanm Plato Santral (PWOFAPLAS), shared their experiences during the soap-making workshops, how their partnership came about, and how they can capitalize on their success to broaden their market for the future.
“The plans for Pwodiksyon Famn Plato Santral are bigger than soap…after soaps and botanicals, they want to get a small paper mill. There is a demand for paper products in tourism and international markets but also for higher value items, such as home decor and decorative gifts. Then eventually, the plan is to introduce craft items made from bamboo for soap dishes, jewelry and gifts. I am very proud not only as a trainer but as an active business partner for the women.”
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About Caribbean Week of Agriculture
Conceptualized by Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as a facility to place agriculture and rural life on the “front burner” of regional integration activities, the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) provides a platform for policy dialogue between stakeholders and policy makers at the highest level on critical issues of agricultural development in the Caribbean, such as climate change resilience, nutrition security, fisheries governance, technological innovations, value chains development and youth engagement.
The CWA is organized by the Alliance for Sustainable Development of Agriculture and the Rural Milieu in the Wider Caribbean (The Alliance).
