A future made of painted iron – the artists of Maison Ajoupas

As the Creole saying goes: “Moun Croix-des-Bouquets atist nan nam,” which means, “People from Croix-des-Bouquets are natural born artists”. Around the industrious Haitian town are many small shops offering beautiful handicrafts and paintings. One shop known for its high quality and huge variety of products is La Maison Ajoupas, a success story made possible by Plan.

Painting of Haitian life by Sadrol Louisgene

A few years ago, Sadrol Louisgene decided to turn into a professional business what he has done since he was a child: transforming scrap metal and wrought iron into beautiful household and decorative items. He had the ideas, plans, creativity and drive but lacked one thing – money. Without investment to enable him to buy materials and tools, his profits and prospects would always be limited. Without security, no bank would give him credit. It was Plan which offered a solution to his problem.

Sadrol’s friend Francois suggested he approach FHD, Plan’s partner organisation for Micro Enterprise Development in the area, with a request for credit. Things moved quickly: Sadrol’s request was checked and approved, and credit was issued.

“The interest I had to pay was reasonable, and within a short time I was able to set up a real business,” he says. In partnership with Francois, he saw the demand for their products grow. Soon, they were able to rent a house and a piece of land so that their fledgling enterprise could expand.

“The first time was very hard,” remembers Sadrol. “Nearly all the profit we made was eaten by the rent for the house.” But he had a clear strategy and the discipline to overcome obstacles. “We saved every little penny. Sometimes it was hard for me to finance my living, but I chose to cut down my personal expectations and to invest as much as possible into the shop.”

Growing the business

A breakthrough occurred when he contacted Gabrielle, a trader with connections to art wholesalers in Haiti and other countries. Her business relationships enabled Sadrol’s company to receive bigger orders. The team grew and now employs 30 artists, half of them Plan families, who earn their living from the work.

For the artists this means a regular income – a rare opportunity in the area, where most rely on subsistence farming. Their employment represents food security, the ability to pay a doctor if a family member is sick, and, most importantly, the means to send their children to school. They also develop valuable skills and confidence in their own abilities.

Today, Maison Ajoupas is able to produce over 1000 items a week, still following its strict criteria for quality. “We constantly come up with new designs. Our heads are full of ideas for motifs and different models.” This creativity has paid off, and this year Sadrol will be moving the shop to his own building and land, bought with savings from the business. “This means that we don’t have to pay any rent in future, which is a great relief and means more profit for everybody in my company,” says Sadrol, who has used the experience of setting up and running the business to develop skills in administration and book-keeping.

So, what is he most proud of? “Today, very often people who bought products in other shops, come to us to get the things repaired or polished when they realise that the quality is not as good as ours!”

Plan and Micro Enterprise Development in Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a per capita GNP of approximately $230 a year. Eighty per cent of the population lives in conditions of absolute poverty, and half of the population receives less than the minimum daily requirement of food.

As agricultural productivity declines and the population grows, non-farm enterprises play a more significant role in Haiti. The majority of economically active Haitians work in the informal sector as micro-entrepreneurs, but financial institutions have not generally responded to the needs of these individuals.

Plan’s goal in Haiti is to raise household incomes for all eligible Plan families and communities by increasing access to financial services through established specialised micro-enterprise development institutions. Women are the primary target for these schemes, with business skill training provided and the credit programme used as a platform for education on child and family health care.