Maryse Emilie Holly is currently a Leland International Hunger Fellow based in Haiti, a program where 15 fellows are placed in 15 different developing countries or emerging markets for 2 years, fighting hunger with the tools of their different disciplines. In May, she finished the coursework for a Master’s of Professional Studies in International Agriculture and Rural Development. While in Haiti, Maryse aims to provide support to an organization that is producing a ready-to-use-therapeutic-food and a critical component of production involves purchasing peanuts from Haitian farmers.
In addition, Maryse has also launched a summer camp with her cousins in Haiti a few years ago that is located in a remote beachfront area. This past summer was their third summer.
Why are you a global nomad?
I’m a global nomad because home for me really is wherever my stuff is!
What made you start this venture? Why are you doing this?
I am passionate about agriculture and agri-business because so many marginalized people in the world make their living in agriculture. A key step in supporting development will involve poor people moving up the value chain. For example cocoa is grown in several African countries but mostly exported for processing and then re-imported as a finished product for consumption. That finished product is sold for a much higher price than the raw product. I want my life work to involve seeing raw products processed IN the developing countries that grow them.
What do you hope to achieve?
While I’m in Haiti, I hope to create sustainable relationships between Haitian peanut farmers and Haitian university students that are studying agronomy, plant science or rural development as well as any other relevant disciplines.
Rice production in Haiti is also close to my heart so anything I can do to encourage and support rice production is on my list as well. I’ll probably try to convince some NGOs to buy locally produced rice for their employees. Offices and businesses often serve lunch.
I hope to establish an artist-in-residence program at a guest house here. I want an artist to live at the guest house for free in exchange for regular exhibits or performances (dependent on whether they are a visual or performing artist). I feel strongly that artistic expression should be supported and encouraged because it’s therapeutic and its how people dream and how conversations start.
I also hope to become fluent in French and Haitian-Creole. I speak both but I cannot claim fluency in either.
How long have you been working on this?
A clearer vision has been in mind for about the past 5 years. However, I’ve been preparing for this my whole life. My mother was raised in Liberia and always told the best stories about her childhood there. My father left Haiti as a young adult and he too, enthralled me with tales of his childhood in St. Marc, Haiti. Add to that a cool aunt who was a lawyer for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. She often brought me souvenirs of the different African countries she was visiting. I still have a woven basket and a pot holder that she gave me. Regionally, my interest is expanding to Southeast Asia. This past January, I consulted for an Indonesian rice company and fell in love with that country too.
What is the most interesting discovery you have made since starting this project?
The importance of patience before action. Also, that I could put together some VERY cute outfits from the outdoor clothing market in Cap-Haitien, Haiti.
Where do you see this project in 10 years?
I hope that in 10 years, I’ll be doing what I love - connecting businesses of underrepresented people to new, reliable markets and making a good salary doing it! I also hope that the children who attended our summer camp in Haiti will be in college (either in Haiti or someplace else in the world). I’ll be delighted to help pay their tuition!
When did you start traveling?
While I was in college.
How and why did you travel for the first time?
My sister was studying abroad in Senegal so my mom and I went to visit her.
In what places have you lived and what languages do you speak?
I’ve lived in South Africa, Jamaica, the US: New Orleans, New York and now, Haiti.
In addition to English, I speak French and Haitian-Kreyol. I’ve got a bit of Spanish under my belt too. I’m hoping to add Bahasa-Indonesian to the list.
What’s your favorite city so far?
New York for the fashion, diversity and never ending list of cheap and fun things to do. Paris, for the fashion, cheese and food. New Orleans, for the music (modern jazz), joie-de-vivre and food. Dakar for the people, dancing and fabric. Capetown for the music (Kwaito), dancing and cheap tasty street food. Jakarta for the spas, huge variety in inexpensive food and the amazing malls.
If you could only take one item with you to travel the world (other than your passport), what would it be?
A cute, empty backpack to gather up souvenirs.
Give us your global nomad profile:
window or aisle? aisle. On long flights I like to get up without squeezing past anyone.
boat or plane? plane.
train or bus? train.
walk or bike? I like biking but I’m afraid of traffic so I end up walking.
metro or trolley? tough one. metro. I’m a NYC girl after all.
tropical, temperate, polar? tropical.
hotel, hostel or local’s apartment? local’s apartment.
must have fashion piece when traveling? a comfortable dress. I LIVE in dresses.
explore/map or tour guide? I just explore. I ask questions and I often come home and Google the things I saw. That allows me to just enjoy the moment.
