Gabrielle Aurel, A Life Dedicated to Her Country by Jean Reynald Saint-Hubert

Social entrepreneur, founder and president of the Sonje Ayiti Organization, co-founder and executive secretary of the Agricultural Production and Livestock Society of the North (SAPEN.SA), Gabrielle Aurel is one of those unsung heroes whose works, though often hidden, have a significant impact on the country. Hailing from the city of Cap, this forty-something, brimming with energy, comes from a modest background and has climbed the ladder over the years. However, she hasn't failed to uplift others in vulnerable situations along the way.

A Difficult Journey

At a very young age, she had to grow up without her parents and spent a significant part of her youth in a boarding school with her younger brother. Her father had left Haiti in search of a better life in the United States, and her mother would lose her life in a shipwreck three years later. Her mother was attempting to reach her husband in the United States illegally but never made it.

Gabrielle Aurel describes her childhood as a painful experience where she had to mature faster than she should have to survive. Believing in her work ethic from an early age, she knew she could only rely on herself. She was aided by her father, but when he fell ill or faced financial difficulties, she had to fend for herself. So, at a very young age, she started a small food business with her younger brother. Fortunately, he would soon join their father in the United States, a step she took after completing her basic education.

Leaving the country marked a significant turning point in her life. She attended university, worked for five years as a statistician in the state of Georgia, got married, and had two children. However, she left Haiti, but Haiti never left her, which is why she made frequent visits during the summer holidays.

Return to the Homeland and Commitment

Her brief returns to her homeland left a deep impression on her. She felt a sense of duty but didn't know where to start. So, during a period of political crisis and natural disasters between 2004 and 2005, she founded Sonje Ayiti to encourage the diaspora to help the Haitians. However, she knew she had to be on the ground. "To do meaningful and useful work, you have to make yourself available," she says. She didn't want to be one of those diaspora individuals who sent money to Haiti without creating a real impact.

Thus, after fifteen years in Atlanta, Gabrielle Aurel made the decision to return permanently to Haiti in 2006. "The same God who blessed me in the United States is also in Haiti," she affirms. Her ongoing mission is to build the "Haitian dream." She helps people help themselves, harness their abilities, regain their self-confidence, and believe that life's challenges do not have to be permanent.

Today, through Sonje Ayiti, she enables many people to change their lives through the Chimen Lavi Miyò (CLM) project, where they learn to become self-reliant. The organization has established a community school in the heart of Cima in Limonade, providing education to hundreds of children. She also co-directs, for over a year now, the Projet Klere Timoun with the Organization Entre Les Pages, to e
mpower children from a young age. Additionally, there's the for-profit company, the Agricultural Production and Livestock Society of the North (SAPEN, SA), founded in 2010, which focuses on poultry farming to make food more accessible in Haiti.

A Challenging but Necessary Return

She admits that she did not feel the weight of sexism and machismo during her journey, perhaps thanks to her strong character and unwavering faith in her abilities. Identifying as a humanist, she is willing to work with anyone willing to make progress, regardless of their gender. Her greatest satisfaction, she says, is seeing someone she helped in the past succeeding in life. Among those are young people whose education she financed, and they are now working with her at the organization or some children from the Cima school who are already proving themselves.

For Gabrielle Aurel, only a mental revolution, a strong investment in human potential, and new leadership can overcome the socio-economic challenges in the country. Hence her message to today's youth: "Try to find something you're passionate about to change your environment, live your dreams, and inspire others. Take risks, contribute to the country's development, take responsibility for your lives, and, above all, don't be afraid to lose friends along the way."

Although she works almost all the time, Gabrielle finds some time for leisure, going to the beach, watching African films or documentaries, reading, and occasionally discussing politics. She loves her life as it is, enjoys her work, but she believes that she could just as easily have been an agronomist or a lawyer in another life.

In the remarkable journey of Gabrielle Aurel, we find an inspiring tale of resilience, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to making a positive impact. Her life's story teaches us a profound lesson in the power of individual agency and the transformative potential of selflessness. Despite facing adversity and leaving her homeland for better opportunities, she chose to return and contribute to her country's progress. Her story reminds us that one person, armed with determination and a belief in the human spirit's potential, can indeed create meaningful change. Gabrielle's legacy underscores the importance of reaching out to those in need, empowering them to become self-reliant, and building a brighter future for all. Her journey exemplifies that our true purpose often lies in helping others, and in doing so, we not only transform their lives but also find fulfillment and purpose in our own. Gabrielle Aurel's life teaches us that the impact of compassion, hard work, and unwavering commitment can be profound, echoing beyond the individual to benefit communities, countries, and the world at large.

Jean Reynald Saint-Hubert

Author