Meet Benson: Entrepreneur and Servant-Hearted Leader
In October, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the PW family as a Development Manager for the Caribbean and U.S. Regions. Shortly after joining the team, I was able to experience first-hand the work of our our remarkable network in Haiti.
Throughout our nine-day journey, I saw God at work; developing partnerships, bridging gaps, opening doors of opportunity, and equipping business leaders to create long-term economic transformation in their communities.
I witnessed the passion of the business owners in our network and was so encouraged by their culture of service. Many of them have taken on leadership positions and are volunteering to help train and support other aspiring entrepreneurs.
One such servant-leader is Benson.
Based in Jubilee, an impoverished village just outside of Gonaives, Benson began his entrepreneurial journey as a young man—going door-to-door selling leather books and journals that he and a friend had hand-bound.
Through a retail partnership with 2nd Story Goods, a fair-trade business in Gonaives, Benson was able to turn this small venture into a thriving enterprise. Today, he owns a full-size workshop and employs over 25 people from his village!
But Benson's impact doesn't stop there.
With the encouragement of a volunteer Business Affiliate team, along with business training offered by local Partners Worldwide staff, Benson has become a community leader. He currently serves as the President of AEHA, our local partner in Gonaives, where he helps train emerging entrepreneurs.
A humble person, Benson credits much of his success to the support of the Partners Worldwide network—support only made possible through the generosity of our donors.
Thank you for investing in the potential of local leaders like Benson who are creating jobs and leading the change in their communities!
Though I'm new to my role at Partners Worldwide, I’m already in awe of this generous community and how committed you are to ending poverty through business. I look forward to getting to know you more and partnering together in the years to come to further this life-changing work in Haiti!
December 31, 2018