In the four years since the January 10, 2010 earthquake that devastated parts of Haiti, some Haitian-Americans have relocated to the country their parents and grandparents left in hopes of building up the island nation through homegrown businesses and other avenues for creating jobs. In an interview that appeared in Colorlines, reporter Carla Murphy speaks to one entrepreneur looking to do just that.
Nickson Toussaint, 28, who was born in New York City and spent a few years growing up in Haiti, and his wife, also Haitian-American, have invested $150,000 since 2011 to help turn beachfront property into Azur Resort & Spa. For the Brooklynite, the 2010 earthquake was an impetus to change the direction of the country, with the help of the diaspora.
'I saw [the earthquake] as an opportunity for the country to rise out of its ashes, as well as for the diaspora to return and change the game. I wanted to take a part of that resurrection. The more I began exploring tourism, the more I realized there was a large opportunity to rebrand the perception of the country.'
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