Marie’s Story in Gwo Moulen
Marie lives in Gwo Lyann, Haiti, a small neighborhood perched along the ridge that stretches eastward from Gwo Moulen towards Bwa Wouj, a market near the top of a neighboring hill. Until 2022, Marie and her family lived a very different life.
Her husband, Prophete, is a farmer, and Marie worked alongside him in the fields while also earning additional income through small trading. She would buy basic groceries in Laskawobas or Bwa Wouj and sell them in Gwo Moulen. Marie also made sweets to sell to school children as an affordable snack and occasionally sewed using a machine at her sister’s house. The couple’s younger children attended school, with two preparing for the national 9th-grade graduation exam.
One day, while preparing to do laundry at the water source below her home, Marie slipped out of her plastic sandal and felt a sharp pain in her foot, which quickly radiated up her leg. She pushed through her chores, but by the time she was ready to head home, she needed help to get there.
Initially, Marie hoped the pain would subside. Seeing a doctor is no small task in Gwo Moulen, where no roads can accommodate even a motorcycle. A healthy young person needs at least two hours to hike up from Laskawobas, where the nearest hospital is located. The descent is steep and rocky, making it equally challenging for someone in pain.
When Marie’s condition worsened, her family decided she needed medical attention. They crafted a stretcher and carried her down the hill to the hospital in Laskawobas, which then referred her to the larger teaching hospital in Mibalè. There, Marie was diagnosed with diabetes, and doctors advised amputation. However, Marie and her family chose against it, unable to imagine how she would manage with just one leg in Gwo Lyann. They carried her back up the hill, and she has spent her days sitting just inside her doorway ever since. With her lost income and the family’s declining harvests, they have grown poorer over the years. Prophete now earns money by working as a day laborer in neighbors’ fields, and the school in Gwo Moulen sometimes provides them with food.
In early June, Marie joined the CLM program, which provides a weekly cash stipend that has helped with daily expenses. When it was time for her to receive funds to build income, she and Prophete devised a plan. Marie gave Prophete 15,000 gourds, and he bought two goats at the central market in Laskawobas. After covering the cost of purchase papers, ropes, and a meal for the journey home, Prophete returned with 600 gourds, which they used to buy two small hens. They are now awaiting the balance of the investment fund. CLM members typically receive funds in two payments, and Marie and Prophete plan to use the rest to buy a pig and a turkey.
Marie is also considering returning to commerce. She envisions selling groceries from her home, although that would require more cash than she currently has. Alternatively, she could restart her sweet-making business with much less—she estimates that 5,000 gourds would be enough. Marie is now contemplating a loan from her VSLA to get started.
This client story was adapted from the story shared by Fonkoze Staff member, Steven Werlin on his blog.
