Lesley Charles has been with Haiti Outreach since 2012. He serves as our purchasing and inventory manager and is a devoted husband and father of 3 young children.
Born in La Jeune (in the commune of Pignon), Mr. Charles completed his primary schooling there and later moved to Port-au-Prince to complete his high school education at the Modern Training Center. He then completed his undergraduate work in Accounting at GOC University in 2006.
After having spent over 4 years in Port-au-Prince, he felt it was important to return to his native city and assist in its development.
His first job after college was at the Bienfaisance Hospital in Pignon. He served for 5 years and implemented his professional capacities in the management of the accounting for the hospital. His next role was with Haiti Outreach as a purchasing and inventory manager. The skills he acquired from working in the hospital have been extremely beneficial to his work with us.
Since a young age, Lesly has had a passion for entrepreneurship. He was the first to implement a propane gas pump in Pignon and then created a gas station that also sells convenience products. Additionally, he sells Apollo motorcycles and last year he was considered the top salesman in Pignon.
Despite having endured many obstacles to achieve his success, he has consistently remained in good spirits. Unwilling to let hardship sour his attitude, he refuses to complain about life’s challenges but rather credits much of his accomplishments to the loyalty of his family and friends, affirming that, “I would not have come so far without the sound advice of some of my dear friends, or the support I’ve received at Haiti Outreach.”
Even with his optimism, he does have some concerns about the state of his country, or rather the mentality that creates many of the issues that exist in Haiti, expressing that, “I am afraid to live in a world where values are crumbling and giving way to greed. In my opinion, I often only remember the leaders who naturally care about understanding and solidarity [of the people].”
He continues: “That is why I praise the virtue of the mother who sacrifices her life for the happiness of her child. I admire the courage of the plowman who digs without ever growing weary. I salute the magnanimous gesture of the passerby who helps a stranger in difficulty. I esteem the athlete’s determination to always excel. I have personally experienced the courage of the rescuer who risks his life to save others. It is men and women like this who move me and [who have inspired me to] dream bigger dreams that I would have otherwise dreamt.”
His determination, solid work ethic, and integrity make Lesly Charles a courageous man who sets a positive example in his community. We are pleased to have such a strong leader working on our team.
