On Monday, October 22, 2012 The Women of Milot Entrepreneurial Network was invited to take part in the opening of Parc Industriel de Caracol in northern Haiti.
It was an exciting day for sure with President Michel Martelly and Bill and Hillary Clinton as honored guests. Celebrity attendance was equally impressive with Donna Karen, Sean Penn, Ben Stiller, Richard Branson and more.
The industrial park means to bring manufacturing back to Haiti and it seems to be off to a solid start. VIPs toured the park before finishing with encouraging dedication speeches held in an Exhibition Hall built inside one of the new but still empty warehouses. The warehouse had been transformed for the day into a replica of Old Cap Haitien. It was quite beautiful actually. There was coffee, beer and rum (though not necessarily in that order), all delicious and all made in Haiti. Lunch was catered by LeKay Restaurant from Cap Haitien - always a treat.
Smaller local artisanal organizations were also included and that's where we came in. The Pot Holder Project showed its goods to VIPs, celebrities and guests alike. We displayed our newest pot holder creations and showcased how some of our work is done. Denise, Claudine, Zoulma and Gladys were with me and it was great to see them recognized for their efforts.
For our small group in attendance it was a lift and the encouragement we needed. Monday's event was a marker of our progress and it felt good at the end of the day.
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