Discover Haiti’s Entrepreneurs & Businesses:
Marlène F. Alerte: Founder of Mel’Ange
Inspired by her childhood in the province of Petit-Goâve, a city situated in the South of Haïti, Marlène Ferrus Alerte established a natural goods company with respect to the traditions of her native land. “At a very young age, I really enjoyed gardening with my grand-mother and god-mother. It is from there, that over the years, I developed a great passion for plants.” Over time, she mixed her passion for gardening with her love of decorative arts to create innovative organic products to revive local traditions. Marlène begin by harvesting a small garden of wild herbs and spices, which she sold to local markets. What started out as a hobby, thirty years later is now growing into a small enterprise that is quickly being embraced by the community.
In 2002, Marlène established Mel’Ange, from the French word mélange (meaning a mixture of incongruous elements), an aromatherapy and organic product company. The idea was to mix techniques, traditions and ingredients from different regions of Haïti to create products for health, personal care, well-being and the home. Marlène’s ambition was to make goods that celebrate Haïti’s horticultural methods and art de vivre. “The country has an ideal climate, extremely fertile ground and a year-round growing season for remedial plants and aromatherapy herbs. We have the ability to transform these agricultural goods into wonderful, useful products that can be appreciated around the world.” Marlène strongly believes in the importance of preserving and sharing the rich agricultural history of Haïti with the community and the rest of the world.
Following the success of the company’s herbs and spices, the brand began to grow in a very organic way. After touring countries such as Spain, France, Portugal and Morocco, Marlène became fascinated by the idea of reviving the art of making soap, fruit preserves, olive oil, vinegar, honey and other natural goods by mixing ancient recipes with modern methods. Today, Mel’Ange has a diverse portfolio of organic product lines and is recognized for its quality ingredients, innovative creations & mixtures, and impeccable standards.
Marlène Ferrus Alerte continues to expand her brand and study her craft. Her vision lives on in an environmental-friendly and forward-thinking company committed to the future of Haïti’s horticultural methods. Her philosophy is that beauty and health comes from within, and is something achieved through intelligence, and having a strong relationship with nature.
Marlène F. Alerte
Founder of Mel’Ange
57 Rue Clerveaux, Pétion-Ville
Port-au-Prince, Haïti W.I.
P : +(509) 4871-5152
E : melangearome@hotmail.com
Send a message to place orders using our Facebook page
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/melangearome01
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Discover Haiti’s Entrepreneurs and Businesses, a feature developed by the Embassy of Haiti, introduces readers to the many talents that Haiti offers. The Embassy will regularly highlight Haiti’s entrepreneurs and businesses. Inclusion in this feature does not imply an endorsement of the person, business or service. If you would like to nominate a Haitian entrepreneur for this feature, please submit their name and bio along with your contact information using the comment section of our website feedback form. Thank you for your continued support.