Thérèse
hérèse, a divorced mother, raised three boys on her own in her house that she and her neighbors built in the 1970s, before the in-migrations to the city. Thérèse was one of the first people ever to work in factories in Haiti, before the massive industrialization in the 1980s. Thérèse's story offers even more historical depth, as she details the shifts from the family-run factory owner producing local foodstuffs to the foreign-owned export-processing zone. Thérèse details the steady decline in her purchasing power, despite three increases in the minimum wage that have not kept pace with the U.S. dollar. Thérèse also talks about how her life was impacted by the embargo against the military regime after the 1991 coup d'état against Aristide. Working in the factories for 30 years, promoted to supervisor, she describes how working conditions also changed. In the early 1990s, her factory was sold to a foreign owner. Given her health problems, Thérèse has difficulty standing up. The new owners refused to accommodate and they laid her off. She now tries to make her ends meet while sewing on an foot-powered machine, which in Haiti is more practical given the lack of electricity. Thérèse brings brings her wisdom and a comparative approach, generating ideas for activism. In addition to this historical perspective, Thérèse also highlights the critical state of Haiti's health care system.
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