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 site 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