Woodline Gedeon: I Always Believe If I Don’t Do Things For Myself, No One Else Will

An advocate of her motherland, her catchy messages always inspire us on her social media pages. Woodline Gedeon ―goes by Lynn― is no stranger to us when it comes to voicing her concerns about Haiti. Though she lives in the U.S., she makes frequent trips to Haiti, and she stays connected to her roots as much as she can. This week, she stops by 4Better to speak about what it means to be a Haitian-American woman in this 21st century.

Please tell us who you are.

My name is Woodline Gedeon, but everyone calls me Lynn. I am a proud Haitian woman, a mother, a wife, an entrepreneur, and mostly a public servant who has been fulfilling her passion for politics both in the US and Haiti.

What does it mean to be a Haitian-American woman?

It means a whole lot to me, and I am fortunate to carry the bloodline of the first free Black country in the entire world.  Do you know what that means, we used to kick ass! I wish my fellow Haitians especially our politicians would dig deeper than their pockets to understand the depth of the value of being Haitian. As a woman, I am even prouder to know the sky is my limit because if my ancestors taught me one thing, it is the strength to keep pushing especially when all odds are against me.

How do you stay focused and committed?

I never had an easy life, well my childhood was amazing, but when I moved to the U.S. at the age of 12 by myself, I had to grow faster than most people in order to survive and adapt to a new culture which has taught me everything about myself. At 17, I was already living on my own, and I had to make decisions for my future, which today I am very proud of.  Commitment to my goals is all I ever knew because first of all, I do not like handouts and at a very young age, I always believe if I don’t do things for myself, no one else will.

What motivates you?

My motivation used to be the difference I can make in someone’s life; however, today it is not only that, it is the legacy I must leave for my son when I am no longer alive. Each of us has a purpose on this planet; therefore, I must leave my footprints to fulfill my callings.

How do you maintain your time between the U.S. and Haiti?

I basically live on a plane because when I am stateside, I have to be in Haiti at least once a month, and the whole airport knows me because I am always late for my flight. Haiti is home, and Haiti will always be home. It is my happy place, and I cry each time I step foot on a plane leaving Haiti whether I am leaving it for two days or 2 months. The U.S. is a country I will forever be grateful to especially towards my education. Due to what they instilled in me, I can proudly give back to my country. I find it fun and amusing to be home and stateside whenever I can and as often I can.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Haiti?

I am a very low-key person; hence, my favorite thing to do is hanging out with my husband, and we travel throughout the country for site-seeing. Beside the political saga, Haiti is indeed a beautiful country worth exploring. Although I have visited all ten departments, I am still discovering so many hidden treasures.

How do you compare Haiti from the 1900s with Haiti today?

I am quite sure Haiti had many issues in the early 1900s. Nevertheless, I highly doubt we were led by that many mediocre, money hungry and incompetent leaders. We are at the back of the wagon in everything. We lack integrity, patriotism is almost nonexistent in the country. We worship unethical humans’ beings and allow them to make decisions on our behalf, and we no longer have any moral values.

What are the most pressing needs that should be addressed in Haiti to help women in their communities?

We need to encourage women to engage in the decision-making of this country. We allow too many anti-feminists to make decisions on our behalf; it is unacceptable in 2019. We only have one woman Senator out of 30 Senators, what happen to the women? Everyone trusts us when it comes to lead a house better than men, so why not a country?

How can the Haitian women overseas share their expertise to support and train those in Haiti?

Education is the key to a developing country; I believe it is time we create a platform to share our knowledge with each other, work with each other to come up with a concrete plan to save Haiti. We need to educate our people by all means necessary or Haiti will remain doomed.

What kind of women you have in your tribe?

I have a lack of women in my tribe because I dislike people who complain too much without taking any actions. Women tend to complain and judge other women. Can you believe women’s worse enemy in society is another woman? I need to work harder in pushing young women to take actions because changes only happen through actions.

What advice can you provide to other Haitian women living in Haiti and abroad?

Stay in the game to win. Engage. Fight hard as a man and lead by example. 

How would you describe Haitian Women in one sentence?

Danm, we rock!