Saturday February 20, 2021 ((rezonodwes.com)) –
Coffee is one of the most consumed drinks in the world. However, in Haiti its production tends towards nothing. The lack of investment in this sector is the main factor.1 In addition, the unavailability and inaccessibility of information (to the entire population) concerning nutritional and medicinal values, including the drawbacks of coffee, is noted.
Noting all these gaps and the demand which continues to increase, Perkens Rolf Julien, medical student at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the State University of Haiti, decides to embark on the coffee sector, by creating his company, JPR-PRODUCTION.
“The company was created to strengthen national coffee production, respecting health standards and making information on coffee available and accessible,” he explains.
In August last year, despite the political crisis in the country, he took the first steps to go from zero to hero.
On August 29, 2020, he says, I made the company’s first coffee sample. After a month of sales and positive feedback, the lack of time and economic means prevented me from progressing at the hoped-for speed. But in November, I entered a competition and won third prize with this project. The training I followed in entrepreneurship helped me a lot. “
This was only the beginning of an entrepreneurial adventure that would prove to be fruitful for JPR-PRODUCTION.
On December 16, in the morning, the coffee produced by the company was already on display at a trade fair organized by Transversal Group . During that same month, he began to sign ” small contracts“. And his meeting with Kenley JEAN-BAPTISTE, a young personal development coach, would allow him to climb to another level. By giving him the opportunity to present his business in several forums, during which he met many entrepreneurs. In particular, the vice-CEO of ACCESS HAITI, Mr. Patrice Bayard, from whom he is very inspired.
Now he has an associate, Johnson CHARLES, a pharmacy student at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at the State University of Haiti. Running a business while studying is no different from the Labors of Hercules!
“Even Jesus when he came to earth had to choose disciples to help him do the job,” he says, smiling.
For the sake of casting his nets further, he and his partner were able to meet with the vice-dean of academic affairs of their faculty, Dr JUDE Milcé, on January 26 to learn about the procedures to follow to find a contract at the faculty. “He explained all the procedures to us,” Johnson says.
Currently, the company has other products in the pipeline and the processes for public opening to actions are already started.
“This enterprise is for me an argument to convince the young people of the fact that they can contribute in the development of the country, to stimulate them to believe in their potential, so they will be able to leave a legacy to the future generations”, he concludes.
Judson AUGUSTIN, Author
