Even before a massive earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, hardship filled the lives of many people in the western hemisphere’s poorest country. But Sophia Lafontant, a senior organizer and training specialist for Oxfam America whose extended family lives in the country, knows—and loves—another Haiti. It’s one the rest of the world can’t easily see through all the stereotyping, a place captured by a saying that has come back to her frequently during these terrible days since the disaster.

Haiti, goes the saying, is like bamboo: it’s small but strong.

In this audio interview, Sophia talks about a country where an entrepreneurial spirit and warm relationships define its people.