Overview:
For over 16 years, Madame Roseline Germain has been a cornerstone of Port-de-Paix’s local economy, serving up traditional snacks and beverages that honor the region’s rich culinary heritage. Despite facing financial setbacks and a lack of modern tools, Germain has built a thriving business that produces local delicacies such as crémasse, cassava bread, and fruit-based drinks.
PORT-DE-PAIX- In the heart of Haiti’s northwest, Madame Roseline Germain has become a guardian of traditional treats, crafting sweets that preserve the soul of her community. From chanm-chanm, a refined sweetened, grilled corn powder to pèt pèt mayi (popcorn,) her handcrafted creations offer a nostalgic taste of local heritage in every bite. For nearly two decades, her small business has been a cornerstone of Port-de-Paix, championing culinary traditions and challenging the dominance of imported goods.
After losing everything in 2008, Germain decided to rename her business “Life Is Not Over” (“Lavi Pa Fini” in Creole) as a testament to her resilience. Today, in her modest stand erected in front of her house, locals can also buy cassava bread, potato bread, syrup candies, grated sweets, and a range of traditional drinks like cremas and fruit syrups.
“I want these treats to remind people of our roots, especially the younger generation who might not know the taste of our heritage,” Germain said.
Germain’s selection of treats include tablèt kokoye, pistach, nwa, and jijirit, alongside a variety of traditional items crafted from local ingredients such as corn, coconut, and nuts, which has made Germain a household name in her community.
The snacks, which were once staples of Haitian culinary tradition, are now at risk of being overshadowed by mass-produced goods imported from the nearby Dominican Republic and other places. Germain’s mission extends beyond just satisfying local tastes; she is committed to preserving these cherished recipes for future generations despite the daily struggles of running a small business and competition with imported products.
“Consumers constantly ask me for Germain’s products—especially her cocktail, cremas, and rum infused cocoa. They say these drinks taste great,” said Guerda Maréus, a reseller who has been buying from Germain for four years. “Germain encouraged me to become a reseller, and it’s been a good business for me.”
A Guardian of Culinary Heritage
The treats on Germain’s stall hold a special place in the country’s cultural fabric. Children in her town and across Haïti delight in their flavors, while older generations see them as a link to the past. Germain is one of the few and longest-standing vendors offering these products made using natural local fruit and food bases in her community of about 400,000 inhabitants. These snacks are not just food but a symbol of heritage—one that Germain has worked to preserve.
“I didn’t have the chance to enjoy these treats in the Dominican Republic,” said Stanley Antoine, a 9-year-old student who moved to Port-de-Paix a year ago. “Now, I’m always excited when my mother buys them for my lunch box. They’re much more delicious than the ones I knew before.”
Germain’s journey began humbly, with just 200 gourdes—around U.S. $1.53—given to her by a relative years ago. She grew up on Isle de La Tortue and later moved to the city of Port-de-Paix. At just 14 years old, she began her commercial activities after losing her mother. Starting with small ventures, she eventually traded mattresses and clothing between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Over time, her business grew.
“In my younger years, I was already motivated by a spirit of creativity. With that money, I bought a bag of candy, resold it for a profit, and slowly developed other activities,” she recalled.
In 2008, while traveling to the Dominican Republic to buy goods, gangs robbed her on the road, and she lost her entire investment, a total of 2,000,000 gourdes, approximately U.S. $15,000.00 she said. It was a devastating blow, but she didn’t give up. She redirected her energy into local fruits and foodstuffs, turning them into finished products for the market under her new business name Lavi Pa Fini (Life Is Not Over.) A shift that allowed her to both survive and thrive.
“It is thanks to them [local ingredients] that I pay the school fees of my five children, who were abandoned by their fathers. With my business activities, I even built my own house so I can live with my children,” Germain said. Her business profits allow her to raise her five children as a single mother and provide them with opportunities she never had while continuing to grow her business rooted in local ingredients.
“I am passionate about the beverages made of products found in the environment,” Germain said. “It’s a dream to be able to achieve that, despite the absence of [modern] production tools. But manually, my team and I make the little that we can.”
From tradition to local success
The recent torrential rains that battered Haiti’s Northwest department for over a month have not spared Germain’s business. Flooding left her workspace partially damaged, and she lost a significant portion of her stock. Despite this setback, Germain remains determined to rebuild, holding onto the resilience that has sustained her through years of economic and environmental challenges.
This resilience is essential in a region already grappling with competition from imported goods. Germain’s main business centers on beverages made from fruits, including traditional cremas and fruit cocktails that are a familiar sight in households and town markets.
During the recent holidays, demand for her warm drinks and snacks peaked, prompting her to ramp up production and make the most of the festive season. The busy period, which usually stretches until March, provides her with steady earnings.
“In winter, people drink more of our beverages because of the cool weather. The demand goes up, so we work harder to meet it. I’m here to serve the community with these good drinks,” she said.
The competition she faces is not just seasonal or environmental—it’s structural. The Dominican Republic, one of Haiti’s main trade partners, exported over $1.02 billion worth of goods to Haiti in 2022, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), a figure that greatly exceeded Haiti’s exports to its neighbor, which stood at just $11.9 million. This trade imbalance has made Haiti heavily reliant on Dominican products, including snacks and treats, which now dominate the market. While we do not have specific data on the percentage of candies and treats sold in Haiti that are imported, this reliance leaves small-scale vendors like Germain in a precarious position.
Without access to modern equipment, Germain relies on traditional methods to produce her treats. Her stand, filled with the aroma of roasted peanuts and simmering sugar, serves as a hub where she and her small team handcraft each product. While she occasionally stocks candies and sour treats from the Dominican Republic to meet customer demands, her ultimate goal is to provide only locally made products. Germain’s team of seven to ten workers earns modest wages of 750 HT Gourdes, or about U.S. $6.00 daily, reflecting her commitment to creating jobs in her community.
Germain’s work exemplifies the preservation of local traditions, ensuring that the flavors of Haiti endure despite growing competition from imports. She dreams of acquiring modern equipment to expand her operations and compete more effectively with foreign products flooding the market.
“It would be better for Haitians to encourage those who produce these local treats and refreshments,” Germain said. “Maintaining these activities is more than necessary. We must ensure the sustainability of old Haitian families who used fruits and agricultural products to make delicious drinks and treats for the local market.”
