Overview:
Social media star Nicolas Nuvan visited Cap-Haïtien final week for six days for video content material and was amazed by the residents’ resiliency and their deep sense of patriotism. Nuvan shared his expertise in Haiti’s second-largest metropolis with The Haitian Instances.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — Eminent YouTuber, TikToker and group influencer Nicolas Nuvan spent six days in Cap-Haïtien final week, visiting from New York Metropolis to benefit from the native delicacies and join with the individuals who form the group. What struck him most throughout his time in Haiti’s second-largest metropolis was the resilience of its folks.
“The individuals are what makes Okap totally different,” Nuvan stated as he stood in entrance of the I Love Okap statue on The Boulevard on Jan. 24.
“Though, the infrastructure, the processes, the politics generally is a little robust over right here the folks overcome they usually’re nonetheless prepared and in a position. They usually accomplish that a lot to maneuver the nation ahead regardless of the obstacles they need to undergo.”
Nuvan added that Haitians are resilient in their very own particular method, notably with their konbit mindset, which suggests to work collectively.
Nuvan is a content material creator with 742K followers on Instagram, 2.5 million followers on TikTok and 214K followers on YouTube. A Colombia native who resides in New York and doesn’t draw back from critical subjects whereas filming entertaining movies, Nuvan has made a reputation for himself interviewing the on a regular basis residents within the streets and inside their companies the world over— from a chef in Jamaica to a fashion business owner in Brooklyn, New York.
Nuvan has been closely specializing in the Caribbean lately. He visited Jamaica final September and Saint Vincent in October. He additionally has been interviewing folks of Caribbean descent in New York and Florida, together with Haitians.
“You go as much as anyone within the streets, they know their historical past. They’re so prideful about their nation. And I believe it’s very distinctive in that method.”
Nicolas Nuvan, YouTuber
Because the nation grips with a gang disaster that has torn by means of Haiti’s tourism trade, a gradual movement of social media influencers have continued to go to some elements of Haiti not beneath gang management. Previous to Nuvan, one other well-known YouTuber visited Haiti in March 2024, Addison Pierre Maalouf, aka “YourFellowArab.” Maalouf went to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien and instructed The Haitian Instances that Haitians are “superb and good-hearted” throughout his go to. In mid-January of this yr, one other social media star, Darren Jason Watkins Jr., who is healthier often called IShowSpeed, introduced that he’s planning to go to Haiti however didn’t specify a date.
For the 2 earlier instances social media influencers visited Haiti, Haitians had been happy to current their tradition to them. To them, it was additionally a possibility to inform the world their struggles, so they might presumably get assist from foreigners.
Nuvan compliments Haitians for being patriotic
Throughout his keep in Haiti, Nuvan visited the canal in Ouanaminthe, Citadelle Lafferière in Milot, Cormier Seashore in Cap-Haïtien, interviewed a painter, small enterprise house owners and extra. Along with being amazed by the Haitians’ resiliency, Nuvan additionally admired their excessive degree of patriotism.
“You go as much as anyone within the streets they usually know their historical past,” Nuvan stated. “They’re so prideful about their nation. And I believe it’s very distinctive in that method.”
Nuvan is legendary for with the ability to simply join along with his interviewees, and certainly, he simply clicked with lots of the Haitians he interviewed. Frantz-Dy Saint-Martin, a painter and famend arts-related occasion organizer in Cap-Haïtien, was past happy to have a dialog with the worldwide identified TikToker on digicam and showcase his paintings. Saint-Martin displayed the portray of the half of the face of a boy smiling.
“From the time he walked in, it felt prefer it was somebody I knew for a while already due to how he was speaking to me, our interplay,” Saint-Martin stated. “He stated hello to us with a smile. He’s very amusing, very nice.”
Saint-Martin can’t look forward to Nuvan to return to Cap-Haïtien.
Nuvan doesn’t have a date set but on when he’ll revisit Haiti, however as talked about, one other social media star may step foot on the Caribbean island this yr: IShowSpeed, the reigning streamer of the yr.