Overview:
In recent years, Haitian artisans have faced a constant struggle to survive and provide for their families.
By Stevenson Pierre Joseph
Haitian Times Contributor
CAP-HAITIEN — Situated on the Boulevard at Rue 23, next to the customs office, the Cap-Haitien Tourist Market is a favored spot for tourists in search of authentic souvenirs and unique pieces reflecting Haiti’s rich heritage. Visitors often come to witness skilled artisans as they craft handmade items.
Here, artisans and vendors in the street markets display an array of artworks and crafts, including jewelry, metal art, handwoven textiles and sewn items, paintings and wooden art, flags, home decor, painted ceramics, gourmet food products, decorated paper and leather goods.
But in recent years, the situation for artisans operating at the marketplace has been less than ideal.
“I urge the relevant authorities to address the situation in the country so that we can continue our operations,” said Jean Robert Dauphin to the Haitian Times.
His despair is shared by many artisans in the Cap-Haïtien Tourist Market as they face the negative effects of the multidimensional crisis daily.
Haitian artisans are known for creating unique crafts and vibrant jewelry pieces that reflect the country’s rich cultural heritage. While specific data on the number of people employed and annual revenue generated by the sector are not recent, data reported during the 2010 earthquake recovery efforts suggest it is a significant economic contributor to the country and in regions like the northern coast. The sector also generates income for other individuals including packers, vendors, suppliers and shippers to improve the living conditions of their families.
However, Haitian artisans face daily challenges in keeping their businesses afloat in a country plagued by socio-political instability and economic crisis. A persistent drop in tourism, market fluctuations, difficulties in sourcing materials, skyrocketing prices, insecurity and prolonged periods of political uncertainty are among the factors that make every day a new struggle for these hardworking individuals.
Declining tourism, deserted markets, harder lives
Haiti’s ongoing multidimensional crisis, intensified since President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in July 2021, has considerably impacted the artisanal sector economically due to a significant decline in tourism. According to World Bank data, the number of tourists visiting Haiti has seen a steady decline since 2018, falling from 1,333,000 in 2018 to 938,000 in 2019. During the first quarter of 2024, the situation worsened due to relentless gang violence in Port-au-Prince and its surroundings. The Haitian capital, which is the main country’s connection point with the provinces and where most of the major activities are concentrated, has been virtually cut off from the rest of Haiti since Feb. 29.
“Things used to be better when we had tourists, cruise ships docking at Labadee—a private Royal Caribbean destination on Haiti’s north coast—and North American missionaries purchasing our products,” Fabien Fritz Jean-Pierre, an artisan at the Cap-Haïtien Tourist Market. “The decline started with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and was followed by cascading socio-political and economic crises,” said Jean-Pierre.
Jean-Pierre, a 38-year-old father of two, told the Haitian Times he has witnessed drastic changes since joining the profession back in 2005.
“Although things were imperfect, they were manageable because we could sell our products,” recalled Jean-Pierre. “The country now lacks a functioning government, and gangs have gained control over the capital, exacerbating the problems faced by artisans.”
“We live in a country where the present and future are uncertain. The situation in the country affects us physically and psychologically,” Jean-Pierre lamented. “As an artisan, I create necklaces, paintings and various other crafts. However, this business is no longer a reliable source of income due to the country’s pervasive problems.”
‘A tourist market with no tourists’
Jean-Pierre’s two children live with their mother in the Dominican Republic (DR), which shares the Caribbean island with Haiti. He crossed the border to the DR— where he learned the artisan trade— when he was 15. He spent 25 years , before deciding to return home eight years ago. With his income from selling his crafts, he cares for his children in Haiti’s neighboring country. He has not been able to provide funds for them as regularly as he used to.
Sometimes, Jean-Pierre travels 16 miles roundtrip between the city of Cap-Haïtien and Coco Beach in Labadie— where he started his business— to find prospective clients.
Madeleine Pierre, a 42-year-old seamstress and craftswoman, lives in nearby Milot, about 12 miles south of Cap-Haïtien. Daily, she travels from Milot, home of the Palais Sans-Souci and Citadelle Laferrière, two marquee historical sites built by King Henri Christophe in the early 1900s.
“There are times when I can’t even leave my house because I don’t have money to pay for transportation. I already know that I won’t make any sales,” Pierre said. “The market is called the Tourist Market, but there is nothing [no tourists]. I have not sold anything for a while now.”
She also highlighted her difficulties in sourcing the materials necessary for her craft.
“There are many obstacles. For example, the yarn I use must come from Port-au-Prince, but now I can’t find any because the roads to Haiti’s capital have been cut off by gangs,” Pierre added.
“In the past, when the country was in a better state, I would travel from Milot to the Tourist Market,” she recalls. “Even if I had no money, I would leave some products on consignment and return home with money to support my family.”
Now, “I feel discouraged,” she said. “I simply store my items to prevent them from getting damaged, as it is an investment.”
A product that she typically sells to locals for 250 gourdes, about $1.98, can be sold to a foreign visitor for as much as $10, she explained.
Haiti’s tourism sector must be revitalized
In a recent academic article published in Theoretical, Haitian researcher Walner Osma, a doctoral student in Sociology at the University of Ottawa, Canada, said tourism in Haiti should be revitalized because it is a crucial sector of the Haitian economy.
“Haiti was once a major tourist destination in the Caribbean region. After World War II, only Puerto Rico received more tourists than Haiti, which held the top spot between 1940 and 1960,” Osma writes.
Haiti’s popularity as a tourist destination has since declined.Socio-political and economic crises, insecurity and a lack of reliable infrastructure have made the Caribbean nation one of the least visited destinations, explained Osma.
Jean Robert Dauphin, an artisanal vendor at the Cap-Haïtien Tourist Market, puts it more bluntly for workers.
“The precarious security situation in the country, which discourages tourists from visiting Haiti, has crushed artisans financially,” he said.
“Without tourists, we cannot make sales or earn money. This affects not only adults but also children. We can’t feed our children.”
Barthélémy Volmar, an artisan since 1990, is a skilled painter whose captivating works attract many visitors to Cap-Haitien. However, he now feels that his reality is distressing.
Tourists no longer come to visit us. And some sporadically come and buy our products, they pay meager prices because we have a lot less demands than usual,” Volmar told The Haitian Times.
In 2023, he shared with some bitterness in his voice, he sold only one piece of his work.
“The future looks grim, and the demand for my work continues to decline,” he said. “The country’s severe problems have destroyed everything.”
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