Meet Marie Serante

LaNae's Blog

My dog, Danny, and I love to take walks in the early morning. When Randy and I moved to Village Nadia, I had to find a new walking route. I decided to walk down by the river near our Lakou campus, although I had been cautioned by my team to avoid this area due to the amount of poverty. As I walked along the river bank, I met a woman named Marie Serante. I would later find out that every day Marie walks down by the river to collect large rocks that she carries home and manually crushes to form gravel to sell. This was her main source of income and it takes her a month to create enough gravel to make a profit.

Marie approached me and asked a question. Because of the language barrier, I asked our operations manager, Coby, to help translate. Marie was in need of money to help pay for her son’s education. I wanted to help, but I didn’t want to just give her money. I conferred with my team and we decided to try and find Marie a position within Lakou so she could earn more money.

I invited her to my home and we assigned her household tasks, but it was a struggle at first. Marie wasn’t used to being in a home like mine. Many Haitian citizens live in very humble homes that require less maintenance due to the lack of household items. Although there was a learning curve, I trusted Marie and she showed up with the desire to work and learn.

Within the first year of hiring Marie, I had to fly back to the states and was away from Haiti for almost a year. The Lakou team welcomed Marie and helped coach her on her new job and responsibilities. During Christmas, Buchman, our team photographer, sent some team photos to us, and there was one picture of Marie that brought tears to my eyes.

The smile and confidence on Marie’s face warmed my heart because this woman had grown into a reliable and amazing member of our team. You may not know, but Haitians aren’t used to cameras and taking photos, so it’s rare to see them smile. Marie’s smile meant so much to me because it let me know that she was happy. She was happy to be a part of a group, happy to wear her Lakou uniform and be a team player and, most of all, happy that she can provide for her family.

Today, this widowed mother of seven is a leader in the Lakou family. She and her children live a more comfortable life, and her gravel business has become her side job. She is a hard working mama who is a joy to be around and I’m so glad I took that walk to Marie’s neighborhood.

Funny story, Haitians have a fear of dogs, so my German Shepherd, Danny, is a sight to see. I have become known as the white lady with the BIG dog. Like most places, dogs serve as security for people’s yards, and Danny does give me a sense of security on our walks. Since working with Lakou, Marie and Danny have become great friends.

Everyone stands in awe of Marie petting the BIG scary dog when they see them together. Now, when I want to get a photo with Marie, she asks if Danny can be in the photo. She has truly become family.

”Working at Lakou has given me great opportunities and allows my family and me to live more comfortably. Where once my family just survived, we now have the opportunity to thrive. I have a chance at offering my children a more normal, balanced life. Lakou has given me a lot of hope because they treat me with respect and dignity. Lakou is like my new family, “Lakou se nouvo fanmi’m.”

-Marie Serante

Thank you for reading this amazing story.