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Carry Fils-Aime traveled to the Anse-Rouge region of Haiti last month to visit salt plants and speak with local harvesters. Her social enterprise startup, Le Sel Foundation, will modernize salt production and distribution to advance the market in Haiti. Le Sel is a semi-finalist in the Standard Chartered Women Entrepreneurs Prize a the Zahn Center, and will disrupt the current salt market in Haiti.
Carry, a native Haitian, described how shocked she was by the working conditions at Anse-Rouges salt plants. The harvesters have to start working extremely early because of the heat, and many walk hours to get to the plant. They have no gloves or boots to protect their skin from the salt. This longtime exposure has adverse effects on their health. Not only are the working conditions poor, the harvesters (mostly women) make less than $2/day. Often, the women are not even paid in currency, but in salt.
But Carry has plans to change all of this. Le Sel Foundation will not only introduce iodized salt to Haiti, a country that suffers greatly from iodine deficiency, but the plant will be part of a larger Eco-Park project for the Anse-Rouge region. Carry works closely with Professor Hillary Brown and her students in the CCNY Environmental Science Department, who are testing models for an Eco-Park in Anse-Rouge. Right now theyre trying to figure out the best way to turn organic waste into energy. Theyre working very hard and are passionate about this project, said Carry.
Le Sel Foundation will also engage the Haitian community in educational programming. So many Haitians suffer from iodine deficiency, especially women, and they dont want to talk about it. Iodine is necessary for thyroid hormone production, and without it many people develop dangerous goiters (a mass in the neck) as their thyroids attempt to increase hormone production. Other effects of iodine deficiency include severe cognitive impairment, obesity, and an increased risk of certain cancers. Through Le Sel, Carry plans to educate Haitians about the effects of iodine deficiency while selling her salt to prevent related disease.
Carry traveled to Haiti again over spring break to meet with government officials and community members. We need a strong commitment with partners who believe in our vision and share our values. For my idea to succeed, its going to take a lot of other institutions helping one another, she said.
Keep it up, Carry. Were happily supporting you every step of the way.