Your very professional Sexy Patate

Today's post has nothing to do with weight or appearance. Instead I'm choosing to vent about my current professional situation. 

After graduating from Ste Rose de Lima I got my bachelor of science in Actuarial Science from the University of Central Florida . I moved back to Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake because I thought I could be useful to my country. I worked a while on Tulane University’s project here then as a “chef de Service” at CONAM-OFATMA, managing and creating insurance plans. I left to go work at la Mairie de PaP as General Director not only because I am certainly qualified for the job but also because no one with the necessary background would take on that amount of work for the little pay, unless you are in it for the mayor’s success.Yes he is my sister's hubby but trust me, noone other than family would agree to sacrifice themselves like I am doing.

In the past 3 years, I have helped rebuild the administration that was barely existent. I have put us in a place where we have asked CSC-CA to come audit us from july 2016 to date.

Since I’ve been working with the mayor, we have reformed the 8 schools that cater to 5 to 6 thousand kids and the results at the national exams are now at 84%.

Until the instability hit, my employees were getting paid regularly and benefited of their boni the last 3 years for the first time in the last 30 years.

On top of that I helped the mayor put in place the garbage circuit which we do on the regular, and we acquired about 20 equipments to do so. We also achieved buying fire trucks and now have 14 active firefighters.

In the schools, we graduated around 450 overaged kids in hands-on career programs so that they can hold jobs while finishing their basic education.

I never once saw my job as anything else than a job. A job that comes with its responsibilities and challenges, very stressful and that has cost me more than people may realize. I have never taken advantage of my position for favors nor anything of the sort.

People don’t realize how hard this job is being a woman. I had to work double hard to earn my coworkers’ respect, specially the narrow minded men who find it unbearable to take orders from a young woman. You won’t imagine how many times I have been overlooked at official meetings or purposely mistaken for a secretary . How many disrespectful remarks I’ve had to endure, and sexual advances I’ve had to shut down. How many nasty rumors I’ve been subjected to. How many people distanced themselves from me because they cannot handle a powerful professional. How many people wanted advantages that I wasn’t giving. How many times people around me had to endure the same stupid shit. How many times I’ve been hurt and swallowed it all.

In all 3 years, I pulled my badge twice; once to get out of a traffic ticket for my tinted windows and the second time at the airport to avoid being stripped down by customs. Besides that I have never flaunted anything. I'm not one to walk around with security for people to know that I am an "important" person. I drive my kid to his activities, I do my groceries and I sit in traffic. I don't give my friends and family checks, nor ins, nor "brass". If there is a job that you're the most qualified to do with the best pricing, and all your paperwork is in order, then we are in business. I haven’t made a fortune and never acted like I have plenty dough. I am DG at work, and Bamby everywhere else. And sometimes, I wish everyone understood and saw that. You have no idea how many times I heard "oo bon se DG ou ye, di moun yo pa ranse avew" and yet, I still never ever said that once to anyone. I’m not saying this to complain, I’m constantly learning and surpassing myself dealing with so many different challenges.

I'm not trying to prove anything, nor toot my own horn, but I get tired of the wrong assumptions people have, of how I do my job, of how I see my job, and what I do with my title. I live my life very simply, because I believe everything is temporary. This job like many other things will eventually expire and my humble self won't have much adjusting to do because I never let it get to my head. And for that I am super thankful to my parents. Education is key people!

I’m very proud of who I am and what I have accomplished. I’m very proud of never having put myself in any compromising situations sexually nor financially to achieve any of it. And this is the way I intend to keep going because at the end of the day, I sleep feeling very peacefully with a feeling of great accomplishment. And this is what I want all young women to aspire to!

I guess I am saying all of this to show others that being afraid is not an option. Get involved, take that big job, get into politics. It has its challenges and difficulties but can be very rewarding in the end. You can touch people and change lives. You can reverse the status quo. Make them see how powerful and ressourceful women can be. Stop the misogynistic establishment that is the norm in Haiti. 

That’s all for now, I just want to send love to those who continuously support me and believe in me. I love you guys (you know who you are). 

Until next time my fellow fatties, friends and readers (you too haters, I know y’all can’t help but secretly read). Stay fabulous! #teamsexypatate