Claire Shallow

NPS400

Final Learning Journal Entry

Yesterday was my last day of work at Petite Palm. As this internship has come to an end,

I can’t help but reflect on my time in Haiti and how fast it went. Ultimately, I came here just to

work and gain experience in the Nonprofit business sector for a cause I’m passionate about.

However, my time here was so much more than that. I was given the opportunity to work and

live in a different country and a different culture for two months. I learned what it means to live

as a long-term expatriate in a third world country and the pros and cons that come with that. I

learned that someone must really want to see their organization’s mission fulfilled to want to

work in this sector, and some people are not meant for that. Petite Palm’s volunteers and

employees sacrifice a lot for their organization, and the only thing that drives sacrifice is the

passion that brought them to Haiti in the first place. Money, energy, time, and resources are

sacrificed for the benefit of the nonprofit. There were days full of mundane tasks that didn’t feel

important and made it hard to want to sacrifice. I saw this all the time in the workers here. I also

witnessed our hard work stimulate change in a community with all the odds stacked against

them, making the Petite Palm volunteers want to wake up and do it all over again. I learned that

the nonprofit sector is in great need of more people willing to sacrifice. There is always more

work to be done, but not enough people wanting to do it without a big salary. I also learned that

everyone has something to bring to the team - there is room for anyone in a nonprofit if they are

ready to help. For example, I might not have the level of people skills required for certain

positions in the organization, but I have a mind for business, and that’s how I contributed to

Petite Palm in an area where they were lacking. While some employees might not have great

organization, they might be incredibly personable and could perhaps make a great volunteer

coordinator.
 I thought most of what I would learn this summer would relate to how a small, startup

nonprofit is managed - which I did learn. However, it was all of these lessons that I wasn’t

expecting through which I learned the most. At the beginning of the internship I was anxious

and did not know what to expect. This was my first internship, and I do not have any previous

job experience with a nonprofit or with management. I only had an idea of what the internship

would look like based on the job description on the Social Business Operations Intern

application, a few conversations with my site supervisor, and the information I learned about

Petite Palm through their website and social media pages. I knew the hours I would work each

week and the fact that I would spend two months in Haiti, but besides that I did not want to have

any expectations in fear of the experience not living up to them. Nevertheless, the internship

exceeded my expectations in every way. My actual responsibilities consisted mainly of

collaborating daily with the In-Country Marketing and Business Manager. This often looked like

planning social media posts, updating social media profiles and sale links, updating the Petite

Palm website, and other online marketing projects. A majority of Petite Palm’s marketing is

done online because the target demographic for sales is Americans. In the Introduction to

Nonprofits course we spent a lot of time learning about how marketing in the nonprofit sector is

just as important in the forprofit sector, because they are both essentially businesses trying to

generate revenue. It’s also important that nonprofits take advantage of every opportunity for free

marketing as possible, so we spent a lot of time on email campaigns and improving our

Facebook page, Instagram profile, and website. I truly got to see the direct impact of marketing

on Petite Palm’s sales during my time there. Other responsibilities that I had related more

towards production and inventory. Each morning I conducted quality control on every product

created the day before, and added each item to the inventory system. I created and monitored
timelines for products to be made based on how quickly they were selling, how much materials

we had for that product, and how long it took to make the product. I was also in charge of

making sure every product was logged so our artisans would get paid the correct amount each

month, and assisted with payroll. Inventory management was a big part of my job, including

tracking products and supplies weekly, updating and checking online systems, and ordering more

materials when needed. As a fresh set of eyes in the office I was asked to recommend new

process improvements if I saw an opportunity. I was able to implement a new system for the

women to log their progress each day in a more organized and efficient way.

It was clear that the staff wanted me to get just as much out of this internship as I was

putting in. Several employees spent time giving me advice, and teaching me what they’ve

learned from working in Petite Palm and other nonprofits, which they did not have to do. I was

able to interview two board members to learn more about the specifics of The Mama Zwazo

Foundation’s Board of Directors, which highlighted what we studied about boards and personnel

in Introduction to Nonprofits. The employees were there for me, and wanted me to get the most

out of my time here as possible. I worked full time while I lived here, but I was also able to go

on adventures and make friends - by-products of this internship that I was not expecting

beforehand. I would relive this experience all over again if I could.

Learning Journal Entry 6

I have one week left at Petite Palm - this internship has flown by! It has been full of fun,

new experiences, obstacles, learning, and making friends. Each week I learn something new

about nonprofits, about Petite Palm, about Haiti, about the individuals I work with, and about
myself. Last week I was asked to start a marketing project with a heavy emphasis on graphic

design for the new fall line that is coming out. I have never done anything with graphic design

before this internship, and very little with marketing. The Marketing and Business Manager and I

have been working on projects like this one together throughout the duration of the internship.

She does all of the graphic design for the Petite Palm brand, so I’ve learned the basics through

working with her. This time I was given the responsibility of creating the newsletter from scratch

for the launch of the new Autumn line. The expectations behind for this launch are huge as the

team is hoping it will bring in more revenue than the last launch. With ongoing protests in Haiti

business at the studio has been down as many people are staying home. The hope is that more

customers will shop online, hence the heavy social media marketing aspect of my internship. At

the last staff meeting we discussed how Petite Palm could ideally provide jobs to two more

artisans by the end of the year, but it depends on the sales for the rest of 2019. I would never

have expected to do anything like this in my position, and I don’t think the Executive Directors

thought I would either when they drafted up this internship. Yet, I was trusted enough to have

been assigned to this project by myself and I’m excited to step out of my comfort zone. My

relationship with the managers has come a long way and this was confirmation that they have

faith in my performance. This has further emphasized what I previously observed about the

management style here at Petite Palm, and how trust in a manager-employee relationship goes a

long way. These managers are more relational than in my past jobs, and it is evident that their

style is very effective. I’m interested to see what is taught about this topic in my management

class in the fall, and to compare everything I’ve learned about business through this internship to

what I learn in COB300. This next week will be a crazy one as I have a lot of work to do before I

leave and Petite Palm closes for two weeks. In Haiti it is required that businesses must close for
at least two consecutive weeks every year so employees can have a break. Petite Palm will pick

back up where we left off and launch the fall line on the first day back, so we need to get all the

preparations done ahead of time. I have not only learned a lot about nonprofits, business, and

management through this position, but I have learned more about retail and how there is a stricter

timeline in this industry than in others. One of my favorite parts of this job has been witnessing

all the behind the scenes to this unique business.

Learning Journal Entry 5

In NPS 300 we discussed how personnel in a Nonprofit wear many hats due to the nature

of the sector. This mainly comes down to the fact that NP’s often don’t have as much employees

as a For-profit. Employees, especially managers, are asked to take on many responsibilities

within the organization that are often outside of their job description. I saw this firsthand when

interviewing the Volunteer Coordinator at the Rockingham County - Harrisonburg SPCA, who

performed many duties that didn’t even relate to volunteers. Employees take on these extra

responsibilities not because they are in love with doing more mundane office work than

necessary, but because they are passionate about the organization’s cause and will do whatever it

takes to see the mission fulfilled. I’ve also seen this at Petite Palm. Almost all the employees and

volunteers including myself perform duties that are beyond their job description so that the

organization can thrive. For example, the Marketing & Business Manager often organizes team

bonding events for the women and Executive Director sometimes suggests marketing ideas. I

have been asked to help create a new pair of earrings and try out new dye colors for blankets,

neither or which were in my job description or what I expected to do, but both things I enjoyed

and learned more about my organization from. A team with the same goals in mind who is not
trying to compete with one another is a team that will be successful. Petite Palm and many other

Nonprofits require give and take in certain areas, with teammates who are willing to go the extra

mile for the sake of the organization. This is something that not all organizations or businesses

have. In fact, I think this is rare in the business world, but I know I would like to be a part of an

organization in which the staff has this type of mindset.

Learning Journal Entry 4

Productivity is something I have had to measure among employees as one of my

responsibilities. This simply means counting how many of a product each artisan makes each

day, recording the number, and tracking how long it takes on average for each individual to make

that product. Different women have different skill sets and are able to make more in a day than

others, so managers decided it wasn’t fair for everyone to get paid the same daily rate. Petite

Palm’s artisans now get paid per product, which doubles as an incentive for them to produce

more. When Petite Palm creates a brand new product, the manager times them to see how long it

takes to make and how many they can make in a day. If it takes more skill and time to make a

product, employees get paid more for that product to keep their pay at a fair, steady rate.

Unfortunately one of the employees recently caught on to this system, and realized if she took

longer to make a new type of blanket, she would get paid more for it. In the initial stages of the

creation process she worked slowly until managers determined a pay rate for the new blanket.

Once the rate was set she sped up each day and was making nearly double the amount she could

before. We became suspicious. She is one of the most trusted employees, so it didn’t make sense.

My supervisor sat down with this employee and asked what was going on. The employee was

very honest and apologized for what she was doing. I admire the way this problem was handled
by both parties. Some managers would be quick to yell and shame the employee, or even fire

them, but she approached the situation calmly so the employee wouldn’t feel attacked. In Haitian

culture it is rude to accuse someone, even with proof, and it is very uncommon take the blame

for something or admit fault. “Pa fòt mwen”, meaning it’s not my fault, is a phrase that is said

quite frequently. It is common for people to scheme or lie without punishment. Managers had to

consider cultural differences when deciding how to address the problem. Because this employee

was honest and took responsibility she was given a second chance. I learned that as a manager

you need to hold your employees accountable and establish expectations from the beginning,

while also offering forgiveness when possible. It is so important that there is a level of trust

between a manager and their employees.

Something else I have noticed about productivity is the difference between volunteer staff

members and paid employees. Because of this incentivized pay scale, employees work very hard

each day to make a living. The show up every day and make product after product without

complaining, so grateful to have a job in this economy. Volunteers do the same, working very

hard, but they slack more often than employees. The only thing motivating volunteers is their

strong passion for the cause behind The Mama Zwazo Foundation, which as we learned in NPS

sometimes isn’t enough. I think that more should be done to motivate volunteers on a daily basis

in the midst of the mundane side of business.

Learning Journal Entry 3

This internship experience has been unique in many ways. I’ve not only been able to

learn about nonprofit management, but the management of a nonprofit in a different country and

how they differ. I’ve learned so much about how NPs in Haiti function, being different than that
of a first world country. Interestingly, I’ve learned so much about other organizations in addition

to Petite Palm. There is a large number of expats working for nonprofits in this small country

who all know and support each other. It has been incredible to see the amount of support and

respect nonprofits here have for each other - It must mean a lot to have others who understand

the unique life many of these volunteers live, residing in a different country for months or years

at a time based purely off of a passion to see change in this country. This is not something you

would typically see in the for-profit business world, where everything is a big competition

between brands and companies. Those businesses just want more money and power, and are

willing to do whatever to get ahead. The businesses I’ve had the privilege of visiting here are

driven by a common goal, and will do whatever it takes to collectively reach that goal. The

Grobman text goes into a lot of detail on how the nonprofit and for profit sectors are different,

but this is a difference that you can’t define. Because Petite Palm is mainly headed by Americans

and has 501(c)3 status in the United States, I thought it couldn’t be that much different that a

nonprofit in the states, however there are many different factors affecting how they run here. For

example, they have to follow both the American and Haitian rules for running a business and

must be familiar with a much different culture to truly be able to serve the community. Many

have said that NP’s in Haiti have become more powerful than the government in a sense due to

the amount of money they bring in and influence they hold. Like in many other developing

countries, the government lacks the means to regulate NGOs in Haiti. This is a common theory

for why Nonprofits in Haiti, including Petite Palm were formed: The Public Goods Theory. The

Haitian government is unable to provide many necessary services, like jobs, so nonprofits form

to help serve this need. I look forward to continue learning more about the uniqueness of the

nonprofit sector and nonprofits in a developing country.

 Learning Journal Entry 2

I knew this internship would be full of social media, which is a reason I was so excited to

accept the offer. I grew up with social media being a huge part of my generation, so it’s been

exciting to learn how businesses - especially small nonprofits - are able to use it to their benefit.

It’s nice to see social media used for positive reasons. I’ve been amazed at how many tools there

are on social media websites aimed at helping businesses thrive. This especially applies to

Facebook and Instagram, as they have accounts specifically for nonprofits and businesses as

well. For example, you have the option to shop products directly from Petite Palm’s Facebook

page. We are also able to “boost” posts, which is essentially sponsoring a post so that many

Facebook or Instagram users, even those who don’t follow us, can hear about Petite Palm. This

type of marketing is something that was completely unheard of ten years ago, enabling

businesses to save tons of money on marketing. As we’ve learned from Groban the Internet is an

essential piece that every nonprofit should use to their advantage. Because most NP’s don’t have

a huge budget in general, let alone for marketing, the Internet and Social Media is a FREE tool

that Nonprofits can use to reach their audience. In NPS300 we studied nonprofit websites and

how essential it is to have a good website. While this still holds true, I’m learning it is just as

important to have good social media pages. When making a website a business has to start from

scratch, requiring a lot of work. However with social media the platform is already there, and the

business just has to fill in information which is typically very user friendly. It would be a waste

for a Nonprofit not to use this free platform to their advantage.

Learning Journal - Entry 1

 It was a busy first week at Petite Palm, as there was a lot to catch up on. No one was able

to work for the past few weeks due to protests becoming increasingly dangerous in Haiti.

Fortunately things have calmed down just prior to my arrival and I was able to start working

right away. There were also a few new hires and some returning to work after maternity leave, so

there was tons going on. The office is full of excitement and it is obvious that the staff loves

spending time together, which I think makes the work day much smoother than it could be.

Because this is a small business with only a few employees who work in the Haiti office on a

daily basis, every staff member is close to one another, which allows a level of trust that is

necessary in this type of business. If someone is late to work due to the roads being blocked from

a storm the night before, the managers are understanding. In return, all of the employees are

incredibly hard-working, honest people, whereas at my previous jobs this relationship is not at all

present. However, working in a 3rd world country can have its downfalls. For example, WiFi is

very spotty which makes it difficult to perform routine tasks such as keeping inventory or

updating the website, but it definitely brings out the creative side of the employees in an

electronic-driven world. Petite Palm has found many ways to work in spite of these problems

that they have no control over, and I think a lot of American businesses could learn from their

patience when things don’t happen how they want instantly. Everything from Petite Palm is

made in Haiti including the materials used to make all of the products, which lowers the cost

exponentially of the products. It is especially costly to import materials to Haiti, so being a Non-

profit, Petite Palm must save in every area possible where a For-Profit business might not have

to worry. I noticed how this company is able to save on costs in many areas, while sticking to

their mission of ethical business and job creation.

 This week I my duties were mainly centered around inventory I was taught all of their

systems used to control inventory - checking, counting, organizing, and performing quality

control on the products currently in the studio. I spent a lot of time on the programs they use for

inventory because I had never kept track of inventory using their computer program before. A lot

more goes into controlling inventory than I realized, such as accounting for indirect materials

that are not conveniently traced. I observed how each artisan at Petite Palm is designated certain

products to make for the day based on their skill level, specialties, efficiency, inventory levels,

and other factors. I am the Social Business Operations Intern, so I also did a lot of work around

social media and electronic marketing. I was introduced to all of the social media and graphic

design websites that they use for marketing. I was given a description of the “style” they use for

their brand when it comes to marketing and social media so that I will eventually be able to

complete marketing projects without assistance. This week I was mostly introduced to the behind

the scenes of running this small, social business. I saw every aspect of the products from start to

finish.