Project Of Building A Noviciate Training Center and The Motherhouse of the Sisters of Fondwa

The Community of Fondwa is a rural community located in the Southwest department of Haiti. Approximately 7000 people live in this community. Many attend and worship at the St. Antoine's Catholic Church in Fondwa. Similar to the general population of Haiti, the peasants of Fondwa live in extreme poverty. Income is less than 1$US/day. Most peasants engage in barely above subsistence agriculture and trade or sell the little excess at market. However the Fondwa community, unlike other rural communities, has a well-organised and functioning peasant organisation, the Association Peasants of Fondwa (APF). APF was founded in the mid 1980's and with funding from abroad has implemented a number of social and economic development projects. For the purpose of this proposal, these projects include a primary health care facility, a guest house for visiting groups, a primary and secondary school with over 700 children enrolled and an orphanage.

The Sisters of Saint Antoine, the postulates and noviciates along with staff hired from the community of Fondwa, are essential for operation of these vital community programs. For example, Sister Simone is the principal of the St. Antoine's School and Sister Carmelle is the director of the APF Fondwa Medical Clinic. Both Sisters, the postulates and noviciates share responsibility for the guest program and orphanage as well as the responsibility for religious education and formation of the youth and adult congregation at Fondwa's St. Antoine's Catholic Church. The Noviciates assist in the clinic on a regular basis. The Sisters and Postulates will continue to provide leadership and work in these program areas. Their work is difficult and a number of young women have left in the past few years because they were not able to make the sacrifices necessary to live in Fondwa.

While Sister Simone and Sister Carmelle are committed to the Fondwa projects in place, they have come to understand that fulfilling their responsibility to the young women in religious training is very difficult with the current living arrangements at the APF Guesthouse. There is limited opportunity for the noviciates to reflect in quiet and engage in deep spiritual process work. In fact a number of other young women have requested the opportunity to enter in service- yet, Sister Carmelle and Sister Simone have decided not to accept them at this time, because of these concerns as described.

The Training Center and Motherhouse will provide:

• An appropriate environment for the required noviciate canonical year.

• A place for religious formation for both the community of Fondwa and the noviciates and postulates in training.

• A place for the sisters to live in the future.

• A possible place for abandoned or orphaned babies to stay until they are old enough to enter the orphanage.

Program Description
The construction project has been divided into three phases:

• Phase One:    US $50,000

• Phase Two:    US $ 50,000

• Phase Three:   US $ 50,000

Construction blue prints are available and were drafted by a Haitian engineer. Local materials and labor will be used whenever possible. The initial construction phase, which began in February 2005, is currently providing an estimated fifty jobs for the Fondwa area. This phase could be completed in 3-6 months once additional funding is secured.

Request for funding will be submitted to religious organisations in the United States and France as well as to individual donors who have existing relationships with the Fondwa Community. Sisters Carmelle and Simone anticipate their community will contribute an additional $6,000 (US) over the next two years towards completion of the project.

A number of small agricultural projects are currently under the direction of the Sisters of Saint Antoine and include raising chickens and pigs and selling coffee. These will provide a sustainable source of income for operation of the center after the construction phases are complete.

Budget (Please see attachment)
The total program cost (Phase I-III, not including property purchase) is $145,000 (US).

Funding received as of March 1, 2005 includes:
$ 6,000 (US) for property (Sisters of Saint Antoine)
$15,000 (US) for Phase I (Associate of Sisters of Charity of New Jersey)

Evaluation
Each year (or more often as requested) a written report including Income/Expense Statement and site photos will be submitted to all funding organisations.

Conclusion
The construction of a dedicated Training Center for Noviciates and Motherhouse in Fondwa will benefit not only the religious community of the Sisters of Saint Antoine but the entire Community of Fondwa. It will be a place for young women to receive spiritual formation and prepare for their future role as servant religious leaders in rural Haiti.

Attachments
1. Budget
2. Construction Blueprints
3. Photographs of Site and Initial Construction