Summer 2019
Association of the Peasants of Fondwa
www.apfhaiti.org 509 28131926 info@apfhaiti.org
Facebook.com/apfhaiti Whats App: 518 334 2666
APF News
Summer 2019
The Association of the Peasants of Fondwa (APF) is an NGO registered with the Ministry of Plans (MPCE) and a national peasant organization registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs in Haiti. Our mission is to empower the local grassroots organizations to create wealth in their communities. APF started in Fondwa in 1988 and is now working throughout the country to establish Local Development Committees (LDCs) in all 572 rural communities, to rebuild Haiti from the ground up. Our aim is to transform rural Haiti by empowering one community at a time – through our APF LDC Program – to create jobs and businesses opportunities for everyone in each rural community Currently APF has 30 LDCs in five states including the Western, the Artibonite Valley, Central Plateau, South-East, South and Grand’Anse and a small presence in each of the four other states in the country. If you want to participate in the reconstruction of Haiti, get involved with us and we will give you the tools to do so.
Contents
1) News from Fr Joseph
2) Fondwa Clinic update
3) Preparation of the APF Book 30th Anniversary Book (1988 –
2018)
4) American International Volunteer Book on APF and Fondwa:
“Two Worlds, One Family” by Susan Conlin
5) Reinforcing APF in Haiti and APF-USA
6) Volunteer Job openings in Haiti
7) Staying in Solidarity with APF
8) lntroduction to the Fondwa Museum
9) FJN 2019 Retreat information
10) APF Overview in Pictures
News from Fr Joseph
Dear Friends,
Your solidarity and support have been a blessing for me and APF for many years – and we hope that we can rely on your continuing commitment to eliminating poverty in rural Haiti. We are sorry we were not able to provide updates as often as we would like, but with the help of my good friend Jay Byrne, in Leavenworth – Kansas, I have taken time this summer to gather information from our staff and prepare this newsletter for you all. APF has experienced numerous challenges over the past few years. We have lost key employees, suffered budget shortfalls, and are continuing to explore options for increased international support (both volunteers and funding). In this newsletter I want to give an update regarding our recent successes and challenges and provide a forecast of our ongoing project and future activities. After reviewing the newsletter, please:
1) Visit www.apfhaiti.org to donate
2) Visit https://give.classy.org/fondwa to donate
3) Visit Amazon.com to purchase the movie “Father Joseph”
Please send any comments or questions regarding the newsletter or our work in Haiti to apf222@aol.com
Peace and blessings to you and your family.
Fr. Joseph
Fondwa Clinic Update – Dr Elizabeth Brea Ferrari
Treatment room and waiting room in the new Fondwa medical clinic Dr. Elizabeth, a native of Venezuela born of Haitian parents, became director of the APF healthcare program in October 2016. 
Her aunt, Jeanine Anas Launay, a retired teacher and long-time friend of APF, informed Dr. Elizabeth regarding the medical needs in Fondwa, and was instrumental in bringing her here to help us. Dr. Elizabeth didn’t take much convincing – she wanted to give back to Haiti. She is a general practitioner specializing in gynecology and possesses a master’s degree in hospital management. She also brings some construction experience to Fondwa, courtesy of her late father who was an architect in Venezuela. Before coming to Fondwa Dr. Elizabeth lived and practiced in Canada for almost 10 years. She works full time at the APF clinic in Fondwa while also providing medical care in Kafelompre at the clinic of the Fondwa Sisters in Kafelompre once a week. 
Twice a year she visits Anse-a-Veau to assist an international medical group working there.
Contents
- News from Fr Joseph
- Fondwa Clinic update
- Preparation of the APF Book 30th Anniversary Book (1988 – 2018)
- American International Volunteer Book on APF and Fondwa:
“Two Worlds, One Family” by Susan Conlin
- Reinforcing APF in Haiti and APF-USA
- Volunteer Job openings in Haiti
- Staying in Solidarity with APF
- lntroduction to the Fondwa Museum
- FJN 2019 Retreat information
- APF Overview in Pictures
News from Fr Joseph
Dear Friends,
Your solidarity and support have been a blessing for me and APF for many years – and we hope that we can rely on your continuing commitment to eliminating poverty in rural Haiti. We are sorry we were not able to provide updates as often as we would like, but with the help of my good friend Jay Byrne, in Leavenworth – Kansas, I have taken time this summer to gather information from our staff and prepare this newsletter for you all. APF has experienced numerous challenges over the past few years. We have lost key employees, suffered budget shortfalls, and are continuing to explore options for increased international support (both volunteers and funding). In this newsletter I want to give an update regarding our recent successes and challenges and provide a forecast of our ongoing project and future activities. After reviewing the newsletter, please:
- Visit apfhaiti.org to donate
- Visit https://give.classy.org/fondwa to donate
- Visit Amazon.com to purchase the movie “Father Joseph”
Please send any comments or questions regarding the newsletter or our work in Haiti to apf222@aol.com
Peace and blessings to you and your family.
Fr. Joseph
Fondwa Clinic Update – Dr Elizabeth Brea Ferrari
Treatment room and waiting room in the new Fondwa medical clinic
Dr. Elizabeth, a native of Venezuela born of Haitian parents, became director of the APF healthcare program in October 2016. Her aunt, Jeanine Anas Launay, a retired teacher and long-time friend of APF, informed Dr. Elizabeth regarding the medical needs in Fondwa, and was instrumental in bringing her here to help us. Dr. Elizabeth didn’t take much convincing – she wanted to give back to Haiti. She is a general practitioner specializing in gynecology and possesses a master’s degree in hospital management. She also brings some construction experience to Fondwa, courtesy of her late father who was an architect in Venezuela. Before coming to Fondwa Dr. Elizabeth lived and practiced in Canada for almost 10 years. She works full time at the APF clinic in Fondwa while also providing medical care in Kafelompre at the clinic of the Fondwa Sisters in Kafelompre once a week. Twice a year she visits Anse-a-Veau to assist an international medical group working there.
During the last few months Dr. Elizabeth has seen over 2300 patients (1900 in Fondwa and 400 in Kafelompre). She identified and treated close to 800 cases of intestinal parasites, as well as respiratory infections, gastric maladies and previously undiagnosed cased of diabetes.
Waiting room for patients at the New Fondwa Clinic She identified numerous cases of malnutrition impacting infants and young adults. She has also treated 27 motorcycle accident injuries. Dr. Elizabeth provided over 1800 vaccinations and provided support for a nation-wide vaccination campaign organized by the Haitian Ministry of Health.
As you may recall, the original Fondwa Clinic was destroyed by the 2010 earthquake, and clinical functions were temporarily conducted in a large shipping container donated by Heart to Heart. Dr. Elizabeth’s construction expertise enabled her to closely supervise the construction of the new Fondwa Clinic – including insuring that the clinic would support the surgery functions she routinely performs. In January 2019 Dr. Elizabeth supervised the movement of the clinic from the shipping container to the unfinished, but functional, new clinic. The treatment and waiting rooms can be seen in the pictures above.
Goals for the coming years include:
- Secure financial support to enable Dr. Elizabeth to continue her vital work in Haiti.
- Complete the clinic construction.
- Expand medical services to other rural communities that are part of the APF LDC program.
Please let us know if you can assist in ensuring that Dr. Elizabeth is able to continue meeting the medical needs of rural Haitians.
Preparation of The APF 30th Anniversary Book (1988 – 2018)
As you know, working for the transformation of rural Haiti is a challenge due to the effects of the 2010 earthquake, frequent hurricanes, and the current political unrest. We are also encountering “international aid fatigue” as many donors are questioning what their contributions have accomplished. APF is a faith-based organization which has received significant support from farmers throughout Haiti, international volunteers, Haitian professionals, and local NGOs working in the country. In that sense we feel very blessed. APF has always shared its limited resources with others, such as Fonkoze, the University of Fondwa, the Sisters of Saint Anthony of Fondwa, and other organizations throughout rural Haiti. 
The main objective of APF is to transform rural Haiti by empowering one community at a time through the APF LDC program to create jobs and business opportunities in each rural community. In 2008 when APF was celebrating its 20th anniversary, we organized a National Peasants Congress – inviting peasants from throughout Haiti to meet with us and reflect on sustainable development opportunities to transform rural Haiti. One outcome of this congress was a request to the national government to create a Ministry of Peasant Affairs – which was done in 2012. Unfortunately, this ministry only existed for three years. In 2015 with the help of Caritas Italiana, APF was able to launch a new program called Local Development Committees ( LDC) to empower rural Haitian to transform their lives.
The APF storybook project was initiated in 2018. This project was supported by the First United Methodist Church, a long-time friend of Fondwa represented by Dr. Karen Clark.
In this book we will share our mission, vision, philosophy and accomplishments. It is a very important project for us. It will help us to celebrate the 30th year Anniversary of APF (1988-2018) and highlight our leadership in rebuilding Haiti from the Communal Sections and in partnership with the LDCs (Local Development Committees).
We are collecting data and pictures to provide information on:
- The history of Fondwa before the inception of APF (prior to1988)
- APF accomplishments (1988-2018)
- APF perspectives for the next 50 years;
Key sources of this information will be the APF newsletters (19882018), our collection of pictures and videos, the movie “The Road to
Fondwa” (produced by two graduates of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA) as well as the film by Jeff Kaufman “Father Joseph” and the video of the National Peasants Congress.
There are 7 important periods in the history of APF (the Newsletters will help in providing information regarding our challenges and accomplishments during these periods):
- 1988-1993
- 1993-1999
- 1999-2004
- 2004-2008
- 2008-2010
- 2010-2015
- 2015-2018
American International Volunteer Book on APF and Fondwa:
“Two Worlds, One Family” by Susan Conlin
Susan Conlin is a Registered nurse from the USA who has lived in Fondwa, Haiti and worked as a nurse at the Fondwa Clinic with the Association of the Peasants of Fondwa (APF) from April of 1997 until July of 2000.
“This is a book about my experiences while living in the Haitian countryside and working as a registered nurse in a health clinic there, but it is not meant to be a book about Haiti or the practice of medicine in Haiti. The distinction is very important to me. I do not mean to present myself as an expert on Haiti, nor on tropical medicine.
“As I was constantly and painfully aware while in Fondwa, not only am I not a doctor, but I was only newly graduated from nursing school. Therefore, I’m sure, the stories about medical cases often reveal my ignorance. One of the messages implicit in the health care stories is that my being the only health care professional available meant that there was no competent person there.
“As for the other stories, I was an outsider from the First World, seeing the Third World for the first time. I wish to share with readers what I saw with my foreigner’s eyes. Any Haitian who reads this book will be sure to find numerous instances where I failed to understand what was going on around me, and therefore in the retelling I misrepresent Haitian reality. My lack of comprehension is part of what I intend to convey, as that was certainly a part of all my experiences.
“Nonetheless, I believe that, despite the inevitable inadequacies, there is a distinct value in a book written by someone with beginner’s eyes, as it provides a bridge between two otherwise disconnected worlds. I hope this value outweighs my errors. “
“Two Worlds, One Family” can be purchased from the publisher (HAFECE@gmail.com) and is also available from Amazon.com.
Reinforcing APF in Haiti and APF-USA
We are grateful to each one of you for staying with us at APF over the last 31 years. We know that it has often been a challenge to continue working with us in Haiti. We have financed our operational budget over the past few years by seeking sponsors/donors for specific APF programs. For example, School Teacher Salaries are supported by Partners in Progress ( PIP) and Family Health Ministries ( FHM). The medical clinic receives a monthly stipend from Friends of the Clinic of Fondwa / HAFECE to help with Dr. Elizabeth’s salary. The senior staff at the University of Fondwa is financed by UFondwa-USA. Approximately 90% of the small businesses (restaurant, transportation services, Guest Figure 1: Truck for the Seafood and Meat business (currently on hold)
Center) staff salaries are funded by the revenues of the businesses. We also receive unrestricted funds some time which help with APF general administration. 
We are still facing significant budget shortfalls which impact approximately 20 positions on the APF senior staff. Below is the APF organizational chart which shows our structure:
Our annual budget and current financial statement are available upon request.
Please let us know how you can best continue to support our efforts.
Figure 2: APF Board Members at the 2019 APF Annual Planning Session
Volunteer Job openings in Haiti
We continue to depend on volunteers to provide technical support and leadership with APF. Current volunteer Job openings in Haiti include:
- APF Development Director/Project Manager
- FJN Director
- Finance Officer
- Finance Officer for The APF Small Business Office
- CPA Officer
We are also looking for volunteers interested in helping us restructure APF-USA, and who may be willing to serve on our board.
Staying in Solidarity with APF
- Buying APF T-Shirt (available soon for $25 – order some for your friends and relatives). Contact us at apf222@aol.com
- Using APF Transportation Service
- Visit https://give.classy.org/fondwa to donate to APF
- Visit APFHaiti.org to donate
- Purchase the Sue Conlin book (available from the Publisher for $25 – order in bulk for your group!) Contact us at apf222@aol.com
- Make a monthly donation to support the APF general administration
lntroduction To The Fondwa Museum
Welcome to the Fondwa Museum and the Association of Peasants of Fondwa (APF) Archives. – ( for more info, visit: www.apfhaiti.org )
Located between the Southeast and the Western Departments in the tenth communal section of Leogane, Fondwa sits at an elevation of 900 meters and covers 28 square kilometers. Rural and somewhat isolated, Fondwa is known as the site of the asteroid mountain of Haiti. According to a story in the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste (April 9, 2012), Fondwa’s geological features provide evidence regarding a cataclysmic event leading to the disapperance of the dinosaurs. Fondwa has a population of 12,500. Including the surrounding areas, about 75,800 people benefit from the services provided by the APF.
The museum traces the history of APF which was created in 1988 to provide economic and spiritual empowerment – transforming the lives of the people of rural Haiti. You will see how our programs promote economic development and assist farmers in gaining access to basic services like healthcare, clean water, and educational opportunities. The Fondwa Museum also provides information on other programs supported by APF to further the development of rural Haiti: the Fonkoze microbank which was created in 1994 and the University of Fondwa which was inaugurated in 2004.
Fondwa Museum is also the repository for the APF Archives. Stored in the archives are the APF photo gallery as well as the newsletters of APF from 1993 to 2018. You will also have access to videos of APF activities and documentary filmes such as The Road To Fondwa and the Jeff Koffman produced Father Joseph
Film. Available for viewing in the museum : are APF News ( Nouvel Fondwa from 1993 -2018 and a book written by Sue Conlin, an American volunteer who worked in Fondwa from 1997 – 2000
The museum captures past and current activities sponsored by APF. Here you will learn about the creation of Partners in Progress and the impact of Father Albert McKnight, a Spiritain Father and African-American priest who retired in Fondwa from 2005 to 2008 and was the first chaplain of the Fondwa Sisters and the University of Fondwa. You will also learn about the creation of APF USA, an American-based organization created in 2007 to support the APF Initiatives in Haiti.
The museum also provides information about the first National Peasants Congress which was organized in Fondwa in 2008 by APF and which helped drive the creation of the Ministry for Peasants Affairs in 2012 and which becomes now the APF LDC Program. Available for viewing are copies of the film documentary of the first National Peasants Congress made by Duchenel Exantus and an interview conducted by Telemac TV during the Congress.
Thank you for visiting the Fondwa Museum and learning about the continuing efforts of the Association of Peasants of Fondwa to eliminate rural poverty in Haiti through education, economic empowerment, and spritual development. Hopefully your visit was both enjoyable and educational, and we would appreciate your comments about your expereince. To support the work we are doing in Fondwa and in Rural Haiti, may we prayerfully suggest you consider a donation of US $ 25.00 Please remember us also in your prayers, and continue to support us in our goal to rebuild rural Haiti through economic development and self sufficiency. Thanks again and take care.
Fr. Joseph
Joseph B. Philippe, CSSP
FJN 2019 Retreat Information
Those of you selected to attend the retreat are reminded that our 3rd FJN Annual Retreat is confirmed for October 17-19, 2019. It will happen at the Salesians Retreat Center in Tabarre, Port-auPrince (Haiti) which is at about 15 minutes from the International Airport of Port-au-Prince. There will be about 80 Participants (45 from Haiti and 35 from abroad, who are members of FJN ( Father Joseph Network: www.fatherjosephnetwork.org / www.apfhaiti.org. Please let us know your traveling dates, so we can make special arrangement for you. We encourage participants to arrive Thursday October 17 before noon and to depart Saturday October 19 after 3:00 pm. The retreat will start on Thursday October 17 at 4:00 pm and will finish on Saturday October 19, 2019 at 1:00 pm. You can also choose to extend your stay, either come for a few days before the retreat or stay for a few days after.
The subtitle for the 2019 Retreat is “Stand Up With Jesus In Your
Own Wilderness.”
Please confirm your participation for us before September 15, 2019. We will send you the Retreat / Seminar Program and additional information once we receive your confirmation.
Thanks a lot again for staying with us in this challenge: to empower economically and spiritually the poor in Rural Haiti, while discovering your own spirituality, the purpose of your life and your mission on this Earth. Peace, and continue always on your spiritual journey.