Who We Are
The Association of Peasants of Fondwa (APF) is a grassroots organization that has worked men nan men (“hand in hand”) with the peasants of Fondwa, Haiti since 1988. APF envisions a new rural Haiti, one which is populated with sustainably and holistically developed communities that actively promote the civil and human rights of the poor. APF’s daily work is dedicated to making this vision a reality by empowering and enabling the poor to become their own agents of liberation. Together, APF and the peasants have created basic infrastructure, health care, financial services, agricultural training, and primary, secondary, and university-level education to the residents of Fondwa. These opportunities do not simply improve the current quality of life in Fondwa, rather they strengthen community relationships by preventing the migration of rural youth and providing community leaders with access to continue to develop their own community.
Where We Work
APF works for the development of Fondwa, the 10th Communal Section of Leogane situated about 60 km south of the capital, Port-au-Prince. APF’s Secretariat operates out of Port-au-Prince and serves as the administrator for APF activities in Fondwa. APF’s Technical Team works in Fondwa directly with the peasants to implement projects and provide them with hands-on-learning. Before APF was founded, Fondwa had no access to basic infrastructure. However, the past 21 years has transformed Fondwa into an area of potential economic growth. Where community members once left their community in search for educational and work opportunities in the larger cities, the same community members are returning back to their roots in Fondwa. Our Future, Haiti’s Future
Today, APF is seeking to spread its experience and knowledge to other rural areas in Haiti through two projects: the University of Fondwa and SEKONAPA. The University of Fondwa (UNIF) is a private, non-profit institution that embodies and promotes APF’s vision of a sustainably, holistically developed rural Haiti. Through Agronomy, Veterinary Medicine, and Management programs, students from rural communal sections of Haiti are trained with practical skills to implement development programs in their own communities and equipped with a network of individuals and organizations committed to the progress of rural Haiti. In October 2009, UNIF implemented a “Working-College” model in which students work in jobs that cover their educational fees and provide experience in securing financial resources for development projects. UNIF is currently interested in creating an Endowment Fund that provides a sustainable financial base for this new model.
APF serves as the Secretariat for SEKONAPA, the Kongrè Nasyonal Peyizan Ayisyen, which aims to build a network of peasant associations throughout rural Haiti that actively pursue their civil and human rights. At the National Peasant Congress in 2008, over 400 peasants gathered in Fondwa to share their experiences and collectively campaign for the creation of a Ministry of Peasant Affairs. SEKONAPA is currently constructing plans for a year of training for Department Delegates, which includes a series of four seminars centered around the themes of leadership, advocacy, and capacity building in Haiti and a Wealth Creation Program that provides informational resources on identifying and pursuing comparative advantage activities within a community and a network of local authorities interested in partnering with the peasant organizations on these business ventures.
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