06/24/2025
My name is Stanley Thévenin. I am 21 years old and I am one of the beneficiaries of HAPI’s Youth Agro-Economy Program.
In 2023, when I was in secondary three, I was invited to join this program. I already had rabbits before, but I did not know how to take proper care of them. Sadly, all my rabbits died. Someone who saw my situation told Mr. Luckner, who manages this project. He came to talk to me and explained that the program helps young people learn rabbit breeding to start their own small businesses. I was very interested, so I joined right away.
Together with other young people, I received training about rabbit breeding and how to manage a small business. After the training, I received three rabbits and a hutch. I was so happy to have rabbits again, and this time I knew how to keep them healthy. When my rabbits reproduced, I gave three back to the program so another young person could benefit too.
Today, I have about 20 rabbits. I even made my hutch larger to have enough space for new rabbits. Since 2023, I mostly sell them. One rabbit sells for 1,500 Haitian gourdes. The biggest profit I made at once was 10,000 gourdes. The money I earn helps me save and cover some of my needs so I depend less on my parents. It also allowed me to register in HAPITech’s computer literacy class, and I plan to join an electricity class soon. However, sales are not always regular. Sometimes I wait up to six months without selling any rabbits, but when God decides to open doors, I get many clients for a long time.
One interesting thing is that I do not only sell my rabbits. I also give some to my friends. HAPI gave me this opportunity, so I want to do the same for others. I always encourage them to join the program too.
I want to thank HAPI for bringing this wonderful project to my community. The biggest lesson I learned is that you can have rabbits, but without good training, profit is not evident.
