Initiating and attracting business venture in a third world country like Haiti can be obviously demanding and challenging. Hence, the responsibility of job creation is solely on government shoulders amid limited resources and manpower.
One of the appeals of the Haiti government is for members of the Haitian diaspora to remit home for job creation and participate in the general growth of the country’s economy. While some have responded positively to the call, others have stayed away due to limited infrastructure.
However, Jude Celiscar is one of those Haitians in the diaspora who is determined to contribute to the economy of Haiti. He co-founded Goodoo Courier, a shipping company in 2017. His idea to start a courier service business stems from his awareness on the difficulties that Haitians encounter in buying and delivering consumer goods.
He recalls how people will contract him to bring them certain goods from the United States and when he arrives in Haiti, they repay him for the purchases.
Celiscar also realized the challenge many Haitians face purchasing goods online. Part of the problem was the lack of credit or payment plans. This challenge, he says, made it difficult for companies to ship to Haiti.
Goodoo Courier delivers goods through a network of independent contractors. Compared to other courier firms, Goodoo offers fast delivery of parcels at a cheaper rate, Celiscar says.
Although Celiscar has not disclosed his sales record, he tells the HaitianTimes that “it is neither profitable nor a deficit. We work with what we have.”
His pre-occupation remains to create job opportunities for young people in Haiti. Celiscar would like, in the long run, maybe 10 years down the line, for Goodoo to be one of the companies in Haiti that employs at least 5,000 people.
Celiscar is the first college graduate from his family to earn a bachelor’s degree. He graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in international political economy.
Celiscar is a survivor of the major 2010 earthquake, which led to the destruction of many homes and school facilities in Haiti. The disaster killed over 220,000 people and 1.5 million people homeless.
“My school basically collapsed, that building that we had before is no longer there,” Celiscar explained, according to NBC. But Celiscar was determined to pursue higher education
“I know some people could have been discouraged and say ‘I’m not doing this anymore. I’ll just stay here and work,’” Celiscar said, according to the University of Texas, Dallas. “It was hard, but I always see myself as a fighter. These things can’t stop me from focusing on my dream, on my goal.”
Celiscar was listed among the 10 young Haitian entrepreneurs engineering the business world of their country by Forbes.
