Lifting Up Women in Fondwa

Community Leader

Agricultural Trainer

Agribusiness Owner

Mother

Small Business Owner

Translator

Spiritual Leaders

Women Group Leaders

To the Women of Fondwa!

People, Animals, and Land All Need Water

Cooking Methods

Almost all cooking in Fondwa is done on wood or charcoal.

Clean Energy for Twoukoffee, a Commercial Hub

The corner store, which was across from our guesthouse, is typical of many homes and small shops.   Cooking is done under a shelter.  The setup is simple - 2-3 cooking pots, a few other utensils, and firewood or charcoal for fuel.

Mme. Antoine would like to see clean energy come to Twoukoffe, the small commercial center shown below.  She would like to have electricity for refrigeration, street lights, lighting for her home and shop.  Efficient energy for cooking, such as a clean cook stove, interests  her as well.  Many in the area have computers, cell phones, and radios, yet other uses for electricity.

 The APF guest house has two solar panels on the roof.   Other APF buildings are planned for this area, including the women food processing business, and community center, which would benefit from clean energy for cooking, refrigeration, electrification, and lighting.

APF would like to see many small decentralized energy-efficient commercial / educational hubs, such as Twoukoffe, developed throughout Fondwa.   

Fondwa Market Bustles Again

The market is busy twice a week.  It is situated on the main road in Tomgateau, located on the upper ridge of Fondwa.  It is quite a hike to the valley below. 

Market Day Begins Early for Most

Peasants come to the market by bus, van, truck, donkey or foot, to buy and sell.  Young and old  begin the long journey to the market in the very early hours, carrying their supplies 3 or more hours. 

Food and Street Vendors Line The Streets

Peasants sell their goods, and then buy the supplies they need.  Some days it is difficult.

A Variety of Food and Supplies

Beans, Rice, and Oil

Peppers, Mangoes, Beans, and Mushrooms

Garlic and Fish

Food Staples and Spices

Charcoal for Cooking

An APF staff has a family member who lost their store in the earthquake.  The relative is selling a few things from their family garden - eggplant, carrots, onion, and potato.

Take Note!  Fondwa Agribusiness is Opening Soon!

shade-grown coffee, yams, peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, garlic, mangoes, grapefruit, bananas....

Recipe of the Week:
Haitian Rice and Mushroom Dish

Ingredients

2 cups of long grain rice
1 cup dried black mushrooms
4 cups of water
2 chopped cloves of garlic
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon of oil
salt, pepper to taste

Directions

1. Soak mushrooms in water overnight in a small bowl
2. Heat oil and fry onions and garlic cloves in a pot
3. Discard mushrooms and mix the water with onions and garlic
4. Add rice when water comes to a boil and simmer when it has dried

Peasants Rely on the Road

The peasants use the roads within Fondwa primarily for market and commerce, church, and school.  They are heavily used.  Transportation on the roads varies...foot, donkey, motorcycle, pickups. 

Growing Crisis...Road in Disrepair

Mud and rock slides are waiting to happen...

...or are happening.

Deep ravines are forming.

Road washouts come with rains.

Soil erosion due to lack of proper embankments. 

Peasants forced to move away from the road into the valley, farther from markets, schools, and community centers.

Rebuilding The Fondwa Road...One of the Highest Priorities For Fondwa

Major capital road investment in Fondwa opens markets and increases income...

• Increase entry of new enterprises into Fondwa
• Expand markets for Fonda peasants agribusiness
• Allow for expanded decentralized small commercial centers 

Good roads in Fondwa open doors...

• Increase attendance in schools as travel is safer and schools more accessible
• Attract more tourists to Fondwa
• Increase peasants ability to attend community events and social functions
• Increase better access to health care

Good road surfaces are a saving...

• Provide safer travel for all
• Save time for peasants overall
• Save money - fuel costs and maintenance costs of vehicles
• Protect the environment
• Prevent soil erosion for farming

On-going maintenance

• Save costs of constant road repair and road clearing from landslides
• Private Fondwa toll-road system could provide a solution to cover costs

Travel Down the Road

(Video is coming)

Elected Government Officials for Fondwa

GMf and APF teams had the privilege of meeting with the Leaders of the 10th Communal Section, Fondwa.  Adam Innocent (3rd from right back row) is the President of the Counsel.   

These elected official work hand in hand with the community.  They stated there were three main areas of concern: water and sanitation, agriculture, and reforestation.  They seek better jobs for the peasants and hope for new techniques for agriculture.  They shared, 

"Before the earthquake we had problems with water access.  APF has made a lot of efforts to capture water.   After the earthquake, problems of water are worse; springs are dry.  Also housing is a big problem for the peasants.   We seek water pump, community-owned, for Tombegateau, which is the APF commercial center. 

On the side of energy no efforts have been made to create energy-efficient systems.

This is like a flower to bloom.  It opens your heart to receive it.  We ask the community to remain strong and believe there is hope."

Destruction in Fondwa

As you drive down the road to Fondwa, almost every APF building has been destroyed.

Even parts of our living complex were destroyed...the concrete guest house was unsafe and our dining walls were USAID tarps.

Temporary shelters for APF orphans were constructed.

Tarps were distributed for families throughout Fondwa.

An Interesting Observation

Concrete houses were either destroyed or severely damaged by the earthquake, while the traditional houses escaped with very little damage.  

Assessing Construction Materials

Bob Theis (Left), GMf's team architect, is associated with a well-established natural building group.  Bob and Thomas Israel, GMf Co-Founder, assessed the masonry construction and materials. 

Laying Out Plans for Fondwa

With a Laser Measuring Distance Device, Bob surveyed the major APF sites for the development of a master plan for Fondwa.   We were brought to potential sites for the university and other areas that had been destroyed, in preparation of new rebuilding plans.

The Architect's Office 

Bob actually had the best office of all!    With a make-shift drawing board made from a discarded door, parallel rule, drawing pencils and paper, he was set for work on his private veranda.  

Bob' Office view was constantly changing as our house was at the center of activity on the Twoukoffee intersection -- young guys going to cockfights, school kids playing soccer, peasants going to market on donkey or foot, or others stopping by the local shop to get some fresh-cooked Creole food or daily supplies. 

Peasants Provide Input Into the Design

The peasants would stop by and visit, providing Bob input into Fondwa's plan.  They were amazed there was no computer renderings.  

Sherylne Joseph, head of the OFPF (Women's Group), and Bob worked on designing OFPF's new building for their food processing business which was destroyed in the earthquake.  Together they measured the land and put the plan together with much thought to materials and design.

Natural Building Materials Explored

The use of bamboo was discussed during many conversations with the peasant farmers. and on a field trip to a bamboo plantation.   Although some peasants are hesitant on the use of bamboo for building, others made some strong points in its favor:

• Bamboo can prevent erosion on hillsides. 
• Bamboo used in building provides strength and flex of walls.
• Bamboos can be locally grown.

Bob added that: 

• The strength and flexibility of bamboo-framed houses have been proven in previous earthquakes zones and stand up well in hurricanes
• Bamboo meets USA building codes.
• Architects and designers are building beautiful large bamboo buildings in Hawaii, Costa Rica, US, and Taiwan.

The group visited a bamboo plantation, where they not only grow bamboo, but have a furniture factory.

The Presentation

On our last day our team presented an overview to the APF Executive Team of Bob's renderings, which were well received,   The final drawings will be in the hands of APF for review and revision.  Much coordination and over site, as well as adequate funding, will need to be in place for the reconstruction of Fondwa. 

Waste Management

A terrific business opportunity waits!

Vaccination Campaign

APF is preparing to launch an animal vaccination campaign for rabies, anthrax and other diseases, which means the people of Fondwa are also protected.

Conducting Animal Population Study

Through this planned study,  APF will be better able to assess Fondwa's animal demographics through an accurate, updated survey.  This data will inform better inform APF for planning future work, as it will also provide accurate household census data on the entire region.

Edrix Alcime is AFP Veterinarian for Fondwa.  He will oversee the vaccination campaign and animal population study.   Edrix is called upon by the community to care for all of the animals throughout Fondwa, no easy task.  

Edrix works hand-in-hand with Hérold Félix, APF Agriculturalist.  They conduct training for peasant groups, overseeing a large program area.

Goat and Pig Program

Presently, APF families care for the mature female pigs and goats, until they give birth to piglets or kids.  After birth, the family returns to the female adult animal to APF, who then redistributes the goat or pig to another family in the community to breed piglets or kids. 

Meeting with APF Peasant Farmers

Hérold Félix (below left) received his education in agronomy through the University of Fondwa (UNIF) and is now overseeing the APF Agriculture Program.   He gathered many peasant farmers in Fondwa to meet with GreenMicrofinance team to share not only their challenges in farming today, but their ideas and thoughts for a renewed Fondwa.  

The peasants shared during the meeting:

"People can find water, but people use the water for wash and clothes, not for irrigation."

"We can grow coffee, but we need shade and good earth.  First shade trees, then coffee." 

"25 years ago on Fondwa, we had coffee and mangoes, as well as avocado, banana, coconut, yams, and many citrus trees.  We have many ideas for small businesses...dry mango, shade-grown coffee,  dried banana powder for baby food".

"We can get 1 million bamboo shoots in Haiti...it can protect the gully...it can be used for  food (bamboo shoots) and building...utilized for baskets, furniture, drain pipes, gates, ladders, and music instruments.  We need expertise in building with bamboo."

Assessing Fondwa

GreenMicrofinance agricultural team for Haiti includes a Canadian agriculturalist / horticulturalist and a Haitian agronomist/ agricultural engineer, Suzette Cadet, who conducted a field survey and soil map of the region.  

Key Issues 

Hérold Félix spoke to our team on agriculture:

" I know many techniques to share with the peasants, but we need money to work with them.  We know animal care, agribusiness such as yam production, soil conservation, water irrigation, and seed propagation.    We need a center where peasants can find seeds and where we can train groups."

The following photos summarize some of key environmental issues GreenMicrofinance and The Association of Peasant Fondwa are addressing together, through growing partnerships and collaboration.     

Deforestation

Soil Erosion

Improper Terracing on Hillsides

Poor Soil Health

Poor Land Management 

Lack Small Scale Irrigation Systems

Poor Road Connectivity for Market Linkages

HOLD THAT VISION!