Clinton Foundation to Visit Kreyòl Essence Farmers in Haiti

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, February 23, 2015

Contact: Stephane Jean-Baptiste

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Kreyòl Essence announced today that former U.S. President Bill Clinton will visit its suppliers and farmers in Mirebalais, Haiti on Monday, February 23rd. The visit is part of President Clinton’s tour of several projects supported by the Clinton Foundation in the agricultural, artisan and tourism sectors.  

Kreyòl Essence is an agribusiness that brings natural and organic hair, skin, and body products from Haiti to the world. The signature product is Haitian Black castor oil, which is known for its multiple beauty and health benefits.

The Clinton Foundation recently invested in Kreyòl Essence to improve the production capacity of its suppliers of Haitian castor oil. This will help significantly boost daily production and support the value chain of the enterprise.

 “We are so honored to have the opportunity to meet with President Clinton and discuss our plans of helping to drive meaningful economic, social and environmental change in Haiti through consumer goods” said Kreyòl Essence Founder and CEO Yve-Car Momperousse. “With the support of the Clinton Foundation, we will be able to meet growing consumer demand for our beauty products, while also helping to improve rural communities and provide income generating activities for women and small holder farmers.”

 Kreyòl Essence currently employs more than 50 farmers and women in Haiti. By farming and planting castor beans, the company is also helping the country with deforestation, soil erosion, and greenhouse gas emissions.

 In addition to the Clinton Foundation, Kreyòl Essence receives investment from angel investors, Yunus Social Business, Deustche Bank, and USAID. 

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 About Kreyòl Essence Founded by Haitian-American social entrepreneur Yve-Car Momperousse, Kreyòl Essence is the first agribusiness in Haiti to develop eco-luxury beauty products based on unrefined castor oil. Our product portfolio consists of exotic hair & skincare products, soaps and candles. The company is vertically integrated and works extensively throughout the entire castor value chain on: farming, processing, packaging, exporting, and marketing. As a company that offers products that are “natural with a purpose”, we aim to tackle the socioeconomic disparities plaguing Haiti by developing a sustainable business model that benefits the country economically and environmentally.

 About the Clinton Foundation The Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation convenes businesses, governments, NGOs, and individuals to improve global health and wellness, increase opportunity for women and girls, reduce childhood obesity, create economic opportunity and growth, and help communities address the effects of climate change. Because of our work, 26,000 American schools are providing kids with healthy food choices in an effort to eradicate childhood obesity; more than 40,000 farmers in Malawi, Tanzania, and Rwanda have improved their incomes by more than 500 percent; 33,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions being reduced annually across the U.S.; more than 5,000 people have been trained in marketable job skills in Colombia; 8.2 million people have access to lifesaving HIV/AIDS medications; $200 million in strategic investments have been made, impacting the health of 75 million people in the U.S.; and members of the Clinton Global Initiative have made nearly 3,100 Commitments to Action to improve more than 430 million lives around the world.

 Photo Credit: Adam Schultz / Clinton Foundation