Vanessa Winston, 44, lives in Roseau, Dominica’s capital, where she runs a small-scale business that primarily produces custom, hand-made fashion accessories. She is also President of the United Nations-supported Dominican Arts & Crafts Manufacturers Association, which helps members promote their products.
Hurricane Maria destroyed her home and factory where she manufactured all of her products. Despite this setback, she bounced back and today is an inspiring example to other Dominican entrepreneurs, even attending the first Commonwealth Fashion Exchange initiative in Buckingham Palace in London.
In early April, Ms. Winston sat down with UN News to look back on the dark days after Hurricane Maria and explain how she managed to bounce back.
Salybia, Dominica after Hurricane Maria
“Back in 2017, life looked good. I just returned from a trade show in Barbados with two other members of the association. I’m so excited to return home and take my business to the next level. I have a workshop and a small but comfortable house with my children.
But Hurricane Maria had other plans.
On the day it hit, we expected the roof to blow off, but we would be safe downstairs, in the workshop area of the house. So we carried what we could, wrapped the rest in plastic and headed down around 6pm.
The ground floor ceiling is made of wood so you can feel the wind and rain, and the door is always in danger of opening and breaking in half. We heard the refrigerator and stove upstairs falling to the floor and the ceiling starting to rise. That’s when my oldest daughter became hysterical.
I bundled all my daughters under the stairs, and everyone cried as the water poured and the wind howled around us. The house was destroyed but the stairs saved us.
After the storm, more challenging days lie ahead. When we looked out and saw the view of the mountains, everything was dark [the storm transformed the countryside, removing much of the lush green foliage and trees]. Even the road surface was blown away by the wind. I was left with four children and nowhere to stay, but I have to be thankful that we are still alive.
Immediately, the community came together with aid agencies such as the Red Cross and the United Nations. We received cash support which I used to buy food. However, not having a home was too difficult for my daughters, so I sent them to live for a while with my cousin in Barbados.
Dominica in 2024 shows little trace of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria
In the meantime, the members of the Dominican Association of Arts and Crafts Producers and I decided to focus on how to restore the forest. Our industry is heavily dependent on the forest because most of our products are made from raw materials that grow there, such as coconuts and the different types of reeds that we use to make baskets and jewelry.
But after Maria, we saw many plants and trees were destroyed so we couldn’t find the raw materials. We searched for the seeds we needed and we all went and planted them in the forest. We also teach our members how to get involved in the beekeeping industry, using local wood to make beehives, as the wax from the hives is important for polishing our furniture products.
When the United Nations offers business training, I always sign up because they help me develop my skills as an entrepreneur and connect with other small business owners. This is the real support that has helped me stand strong and succeed, which means improving myself, helping my members, and providing for my family.”
Vanessa Winston is a member of the Dominican Arts & Crafts Manufacturers Association
