©InfoGerna Desrossier, 38, lives with her two children, husband and mother in the Delmas 19 area of Port-au-Prince in Haiti. Their two-bedroom flat is basic and damp, but they have no other option; the house they used to rent collapsed during the earthquake of 12 January 2010.
It was not just Gerna’s home that was affected by the quake: her livelihood was also reduced to rubble. Gerna says: “I lost everything in the earthquake. I used to sell things like perfume and suitcases to the businesses that were located downtown. But now most of these businesses are gone – destroyed in the earthquake – or they have moved somewhere else.”
A new approach
Unable to continue with her old line of work, Gerna adapted and started selling drinks from her home. It was a small enterprise, until Gerna received a cash grant of £77 from the British Red Cross to help her expand.
Richardson Michel, a British Red Cross staff member who works in Delmas 19, can’t believe how much difference the grant has made: “The last time I came into this shop, it was a really small business. Now it is thriving.”
Gerna agrees: “Thanks to the grant, my business is much bigger now. I make twice as much as I used to every week. I was able to buy more stock, and upgrade my fridge to a larger one that can hold more supplies. I am now making more money, and am able to reinvest more into the business.”
Hard graft
Although trade is good, the work is hard. Gerna says: “I don’t have the chance to go out much. This business is almost 24 hours a day. The only time I can afford to stop working is when I am sleeping. This store is almost always open.”
Yet, despite the long hours, Gerna is very happy. Every two minutes someone is popping in to buy a drink and her purse is overflowing with small notes and coins. She says: “Life is easier for us now, much better than before.”
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