Today we’d like to introduce you to Fanm Kreyol, Inc.
Fanm Kreyol, Inc., can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Fanm Kreyol, Inc. was founded on March 2, 2008, at the University of South Florida. We currently have two chapters and counting! The Florida Atlantic University chapter is the first extension from the founding chapter and was chartered on September 10, 2016. Fanm Kreyol, Inc. is a business professional organization which empowers Haitian women by providing them with different outlets to impact their communities and Haiti while providing a sisterhood that instills unity amongst Haitian women, striving to create a positive movement through education, community service, and workshops. The founders, Marie Grandoit, Fanm Lajwa, and Ruth Georges, Fanm Mevey, wanted to create a platform that debunked the stereotypes against Haitian women and highlight how much strength comes from Haitian women while also creating a safe space for Haitian women to fellowship with each other. With now over 100 members, many holding degrees and practicing in their respective careers, their vision continues to be our reality.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Absolutely not! Anything worth having is not easily attained. In life, we come across many storms. But, at the end of every storm, there is a rainbow. Impacting the lives of Haitians, especially Haitian women, is what we work hard to do every day. At the end of the day, the trials and tribulations we go through are worth it because we know that a little Haitian girl will be able to look up to our legacy and know that she is able to achieve anything she puts her mind to.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Fanm Kreyol, Inc. story. Tell us more about the business.
Fanm Kreyol, Inc. emphasizes empowering Haitian women and focuses on 3 pillars: education, discipline, and drive. On top of the three pillars, we highlight Haitian women who made an impact on Haitian history, ensuring that we tell HER story. When you think about Haitian history, you may automatically think about Jean Jacques Dessalines or Toussaint Louverture. You don’t really hear about women like Yvonne Sylvain who was the first female doctor from Haiti, Ertha Pascal-Trouillot who was the first female President of Haiti, or Claudette Werleigh who was Haiti’s first female Prime Minister. There are a lot of women who fought alongside Dessalines and Louverture, but their names were never recorded and are lost. Fanm Kreyol, Inc. strives to ensure that we become our ancestors’ wildest dreams while keeping their names alive. We speak at different schools and tell the students to never forget where they came from. At our Soiree Elegante gala, we award different Haitian women for their positive influence in the Haitian community and award two graduating high school seniors with scholarships. We are an organization founded by Haitian women, for Haitian women. In a world where we didn’t really see Haitian women getting along together, it speaks volumes to just how impactful Fanm Kreyol, Inc. is, was, and will continue to be.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck can be good and bad, depending on your viewpoint. Do you see the glass as half empty or half full? Luck has provided many eye-opening experiences that we may not have otherwise come across in this lifetime. On the good side of luck, we are connected with many like-minded Haitian women and we can all work towards the betterment of our world together. On the bad side of luck, we come across the ugly in the world, but it’s ok because we can learn from our mistakes and move forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fanmkreyol.org
- Email: fanmkreyol.fau@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/fau_fanmkreyol_inc
Image Credit:
Donllyphoto, RJ Raymond Productions
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