How Haitan advocate empowering women through initiative

Nahomie Jn Baptiste Millien, founder of Centre Kaizen and Femmes en Croissance (WomenGrowth), has turned personal experience into purpose, dedicating her life to helping women unlock their potential, gain financial independence, and live meaningful lives at every stage of their journey.

In an interview with Vanguard, Nahomie reflected on her humble beginnings and the events that shaped her.

“My mother left Haiti for the United States when I was 14, hoping to build a better life for u. What was meant to be a short journey of hope turned into twelve long years of separation. That experience taught me the deep connection between women’s financial independence, family well-being, and national development,” she recalled.

Her passion for women’s empowerment was born from personal awakening. Although she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, it was during her Master’s in Project Management for Development that her outlook changed.

“I loved understanding how development projects worked, and why, despite massive aid, my country wasn’t seeing real progress,” she said.

An internship evaluating reconstruction projects after Haiti’s earthquake opened her eyes to how women’s participation was often overlooked.

That realisation, she said, “sparked my lifelong commitment to understanding and removing barriers to women’s participation.”

In 2018, Nahomie founded Centre Kaizen, Haiti’s first consulting firm fully dedicated to women’s empowerment. The firm provides project management, evaluation, and research services focused on integrating gender equality into economic growth strategies.

“I wanted to show that women’s empowerment wasn’t just for NGOs or social programs, it was an essential driver for economic growth across all sectors,” she noted.

The name Kaizen, a Japanese philosophy meaning “continuous improvement,” reflects the firm’s ethos.

“It’s about making small, consistent changes every day rather than drastic transformations. I wanted our clients to know that we would meet them where they were, and walk with them patiently through their transformation journey,” she explained.

Building Centre Kaizen came with its share of challenges.

“The biggest challenge was turning a vision into a movement. It took me two years to officially launch the firm, but God placed the right people on my path. I had the vision, but I knew that to build a movement, I needed to create space for others to contribute,” Nahomie said.

Her influence grew as she began speaking at events such as the Annual Finance Summit in Haiti, helping to ignite a national conversation on women’s economic empowerment.

After moving to Canada in 2023 to pursue a Ph.D. in Work and Employment Studies at Université Laval, Nahomie began identifying new challenges facing immigrant women.

Through her involvement with BPW International and YWCA, she observed how many professional women struggled to rebuild their careers after migration.

“I noticed that many women between 35 and 70 years old face financial vulnerability,” she said.

This realisation inspired her to establish Femmes en Croissance, a platform designed to help women live fulfilling and financially dignified lives.

Adapting to Canada’s entrepreneurial environment posed another challenge.

“My biggest challenge has been understanding the Canadian entrepreneurial ecosystem. To overcome it, I surrounded myself with mentors, networks, and incubator programs that helped me learn faster,” she admitted.

Nahomie said her proudest achievement remains inspiring her children. After organizing a series of conferences in Canada, her eldest son told her, “Mom, I’m so proud of you. You did it.”

For her, that moment symbolised the true essence of empowerment, showing that no circumstance can prevent one from pursuing the dreams placed in their heart.

Looking ahead, Nahomie envisions a future where women’s empowerment is seen not as a competition but as collaboration.

“It’s about accessing knowledge, skills, and networks that allow women to live fulfilling lives for themselves, their families, and their communities,” she said.

For her, the message is simple yet profound: “Anyone can grow where he or she is planted.”

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