Press release below, also available here.

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Road to Fondwa, LLC Seeks to Optimize Film Distribution Efforts During Park Engagement

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (February 23, 2010) – Innovation Park at Notre Dame today announced the addition of a new client, Road to Fondwa, LLC. The company, which will reside in Innovation Park’s Greenhouse space, will work with the Park in the coming months to significantly increase the distribution, awareness and impact of the documentary “The Road to Fondwa,” filmed exclusively in Haiti.

Founded in 2009 by Notre Dame alumni Justin Brandon, Brian McElroy and Daniel Schnorr, Road to Fondwa, LLC, is seeking to utilize the documentary of the same name to help generate funding for organizations dedicated to providing relief to earthquake-stricken Haiti.

“The Road to Fondwa,” filmed in 2006, tells the powerful story of a rural Haitian community poised to change the future of Haiti. To date, the film has been screened at nine film festivals throughout the United States, receiving critical acclaim.

Following the devastating news of the earthquake in Haiti, Road to Fondwa, LLC, has implemented new plans to utilize the film as a tool to aid relief efforts. Most recently, the film has been showcased at screenings throughout the U.S. as a fund-raising tool for relief organizations. Currently, the company is contributing 100 percent of the proceeds from DVD sales to Haiti earthquake relief efforts in the area near Fondwa, Haiti, via organizations such as Partners in Health and Yele Haiti.

“Innovation Park wishes to help Road to Fondwa, LLC, find ways to market this powerful documentary as a tool to help raise additional funds for critical earthquake relief operations,” said David Brenner, President and CEO of Innovation Park. “The company’s dedication to sustainable, ’double bottom-line’ operations make it a timely venture supporting a worthy cause.”

“When we were looking for a place and partner to help us discern what we needed to do to take our efforts to the next level, Innovation Park seemed like a natural fit,” said Brandon. “Through our engagement at the Park, our company hopes to find ways to make a difference in the lives of countless Haitians via organizations that can make an immediate impact.”

The documentary will be screened Feb. 25 at the University of Notre Dame’s Eck Visitors’ Center. Doors open at 7 p.m. EST. The screening is free and open to the public; optional donations will benefit relief organizations. For more information, visit www.fondwa.org.

Innovation Park’s Greenhouse is a unique space designed to foster innovation and development for ventures in their earliest stages. Based on the principle that dynamic collaboration results in more commercially viable businesses, the Greenhouse provides space and technology for new ventures to brainstorm and collaborate with market experts on critical commercialization issues.

About Innovation Park at Notre Dame
Innovation Park at Notre Dame connects innovators, market experts and capital providers to help transform innovations into viable marketplace ventures. Located adjacent to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., the Park connects clients with key ingredients essential to commercial success. The 55,000 square-foot facility includes high-technology collaborative areas, fully-equipped conference rooms, build-to-suit office suites and dry and wet laboratory space. The Park is designed to serve a variety of businesses, including ventures with expected commercial applications from core Notre Dame research areas as well as ventures that can benefit from access to expertise and resources available through the Park. Innovation Park is a 501c3 organization wholly owned by Notre Dame. For more information, visit www.innovationparknd.com.

Haiti Update: February 12-14 were national days of mourning and prayer. This was the weekend that was to be Kanavel. February 14 saw some small ra-ra’s (street rallys) throughout Port-au-Prince and Leogane.

International Organization Update: Save the Children and Fondation Feuilles d’Hier visited Fondwa for the second time to plan the child-friendly space. They hopefully will be setting up the area with a tent and latrine and equip the kids with toys and water by next Thursday.

After making contact with CARE and requesting tents for 50 people (students and professors) to sleep in during three weeks of reopening so that UNIF can finish off the last three weeks of the previous semester. CARE came to assess and gave us tents for 20 people. It’s a start?

BRAC visited Fondwa to do an assessment.

Gabriel from Sonje Ayiti distributed medical supplies and other aid in Fondwa this week. Sonje Ayiti is a grassroots organization in O-Kap.

After students did local surveys to find out how many people were victim to the quake, we sent the information to the WFP who said they were able to increase the amount of food at existing distributing sites for the student’s zones. However, the students lived too far from the existing sites and their neighborhoods were not willing to travel to get the food, so they declined the offer. This is the ever frustrating aspect of aid…knowing that it is very difficult for families to travel to get food, but also seeing the complexity of logistics to distribute in so many places – and seeing the gap in understanding between the two groups….

UNIF International Meeting: UNIF had planned to host an international meeting on the topic of UNIF as a Working College. In the face of the earthquake, we still decided to hold the meeting. However, due to travel constraints through the DR, we did not have too many international visitors. Though, we were graced with the presence of Brian McElroy, the filmmaker of the Road to Fondwa, Professor Loretta from SUNY, Fr. Marc, and Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder and director of BRAC, along with his staff. Friday and Sunday included visits of Fondwa. Saturday took place at the Hotel Auberge du Quebec in Carrefour. We spent the day together discussing what happened to UNIF, how the working-college model can help the university in the crisis, identifying our needs, and each person making individual commitments to UNIF. Any universities interested in creating mutually beneficial partnerships (i.e. with research, internship, teaching-ship opportunities), let’s start talking. We want to rebuild UNIF in a way that brings respect and dignity to the students and professors and creates lasting sustainable bonds.

Emergency Committee: We stopped meeting this week, mainly because we have nothing to discuss/distribute.
Update on cleaning UNIF: we hired people to recover items in the building but still usable. We stored them in a container in Anba Tonel. We were able to save solar panels, batteries, books, invertor, and invertor control panel.

Current Needs: TENTS! Rainy season is coming! Contact me at aadepasquale@gmail.com if you want to donate a tent.

After days filled with concern for the Sisters, children, and others in Fondwa and mounting frustration over the absence of relief coming to Fondwa there is some good news! Sr. Kay from Leavenworth was able to get through by telephone to Sr. Carmelle in Fonwa. The Sisters are OK, but feeling the stress of their circumstances. Sr. Kay reports “good news” though!

Earthquake Refugee Camp in Fondwa

Sr. Judy Dohner, HM (who before the earthquake lived with the Sisters in Fondwa and worked in the medical clinic there) was able to get to Fondwa with two tents (and a crew to set them up) that will provide temporary shelter for the Sisters! Sr. Judy is also arranging for additional, substantial relief to be delivered by helicopter tomorrow!! This is some of the best news we’ve had and all of us – who are friends of the Sisters and others in Fondwa – owe her a debt of gratitude. Mesi anpil, Se Judy. – Thank you VERY much, Sr. Judy.

We also heard from the good people at Heart to Heart International (KS) that they were attempting to deliver more food and water to the Sisters and others in Fondwa. Heart to Heart is the first (and so far only) relief agency that has been to Fondwa. I congratulate their “extreme team” and other staff on the ground in Haiti and at their home office in KS for getting to Fondwa and then returning. Thank you!

The good people at CRS are also aware of the needs in Fondwa thanks to the many people who contacted the Baltimore headquarters. They are also aware of similar needs in Trouin, a little town near Fondwa and will be making their way there or passing along the responsibility to the agency assigned to that sector. Friends, I think we can stop banging on the door of CRS – at least for now! Thank you, Fr. Chris Promis, for fielding our calls and feeling our concern on behalf of the Sisters, kids and others in Fondwa and thanks to the staff of CRS who are working so hard to do their job on the ground in Haiti.

Another photo from the camp where the sisters are currently living.

We expect additional news from Fondwa in the next day or so. The Sisters know that many people here are continuing to pray for them and that we love them. Let us continue to remember them and so many others in our prayers. Thank you all.

Rich

Find Hope For Haiti Now Here (opens in iTunes)

100% of proceeds from the sale of the album Hope For Haiti Now are being contributed to Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

Please note that international organizations are extremely slow to get to Fondwa due to its remote location, so please also check our other blog posts on how to help Fondwa directly.

Support Plan For The Fondwa Community: 2,500 families of 5 people ( including the Orphanage children, The Sisters Of Fondwa, the members of the APF small working groups, the Fondwa population, the Church groups and our staff: APF, The Fondwa School and The University of Fondwa

Duration: 1- 2 months ( First Level: A)

Management: We have a Fondwa Emergency Relief Committee in place of 9 members made of: 2 Representatives from APF, 2 from UNIF, one from the women’s group, one from the Sisters’ Community, one from the youth groups and 2 from the Local Elected Officers ( Kazek and Azek):

Needs:
A: First Level
1) Water, food (rice, beans, catfish, oil, spaghetti, sugar) health care ( Ambulance Medical Car), mobile toilets, toilet articles, women and children sanitation, snickers, blankets, sheets, towels and clothes for children
2) Water tanks, empty 5 gallons of water, empty drums and buckets
3) Tents for groups of 50 and 100 people (large plastic cover)
4) Storage containers 3 or 4
5) Energy and wireless communication – help to rebuild our Broadcasting Radio Station and our internet service
6) Wireless emergency system.
7) Solar systems storage panels for emergency light
8.) Flash lights, Generator and gas / inverter and other alternative energy
9) Transportation means: 2-3 motorbikes, a Toyota pick-up
10) Light Equipments: pick axes, wheelbarrows, shovels, hoes,
11) Lift up the waste of the destroyed homes
12) An Architect- Engineer Firm to evaluate the remaining houses and our future
Construction sites – to make recommendation and designs “ blue-prints and market” for new homes / facilities
13) Temporary homes ( prefabricated in wood or concrete and furniture)

B: Level ( Human Resources / Equipments / Investment

1) Temporary homes ( prefabricated in wood or concrete and furniture)
2.1- In Fondwa
a. Residence for the Sisters ( 3 groups of 5 people)
b. The School ( 650 – 700 students)
c. The Clinic
d. The Orphanage ( 65 children)
e. The International Volunteers and the Guests
f. The Credit Union building
g. Meeting facility

2.2- Facilities for the University Of Fondwa ( 6 classrooms, dormitory for teachers and students ( between 100 and 150 people), Auditorium for 100 people, Laboratory and Library (a communications system; (internet, key or small PBX)
2.5- In Port-au-Prince:
a) Office space for 12-15 people
b) Living place for 2 -4 International Volunteers
c) Living place for 15-20 International Guests

2) Heavy Equipments: a small dump truck and a backhoe loader
3) A Manager and an Accountant in Fondwa to manage our small businesses
4) Start – up Capital to rebuild APF small businesses ($50,000.00US)

C. Level: Equipment to transform waste of destroyed houses
D- Level: Activities For Sustainable Development
a) Job creation opportunities and support to the local micro business individuals ($75,000.00 US)
b) Technical Assistance to improve agriculture and animal husbandry
c) Housing Project for the people with plumbing and electricity

As you know, almost everything in Fondwa has collapsed. Here is an update from Fr. Joseph:

We have lost about 25 people in Fondwa including a member of the Sisters of St. Anthony of Fondwa: Sr. Odile Damus and a child of 2 years from the Fondwa Orphanage: Jude Dubic. They both died at the APF Guest Center which have been destroyed completely. Everything in Fondwa has gone. The infrastructure that we have built in 22 years: the Orphanage, the School, the APF Center, the Clinic, the Radio Station ( Radyo Zetwal ) the Sisters’ Convent, the buildings of the University of Fondwa ( 7 of them). Everything has gone. The epi-center of the earthquake was in Fondwa, between Leogane and Jacmel. The big building of Pastor Luc Guerrier has gone. The Roman Catholic Church in Fondwa has gone also. The Church of Philadelphie ( a Protestant Church) has gone with about 15 young people under the concrete blocs. The Spiritan have lost one Seminarian, Stephane Douge who died with 12 other Seminarians ( Oblates, Montfortans ) at CIFOR. CIFOR ( a theological school for religious in Port-au-Prince) is gone completely. The Cathedral of Port-au-Prince has gone also. The Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Mgr. Joseph Serge Miot died and will be buried on Saturday January 24. A big part of St. Martial College has gone, specially the Elementary Section which was also used as the Spiritan Pre-Noviciate House. All of the buildings of St. Martial are damaged a lot. Our spiritan house in Senghor where I live with Fr. Patrick Eugene is seriously damaged. Our court-yard is used actually as a Refugee Center for about 200 victims of the earthquake. The other Spiritans are Ok. Fonkoze has lost 3 employees - one Branch ( Bizoton near Port-au-Prince) has gone and 6 other branches very damaged. The Central Office and the Port-au-Prince branch are among them. But the rest of us are alive and are in strongly in solidarity with the rest of the Country. Together, we can rebuild Fondwa and Haiti.

If you are interested in assisting APF or UNIF at this time, it would be best to donate financial resources due to the many infrastructural and procedural obstacles that prevent aid from reaching Fondwa.

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DONATIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF FONDWA
If you are interested in donating to the University of Fondwa, checks can be made out to UNIF-USA and sent to Father Med Laz at the following address:

The University of Fondwa-USA
P.O. Box 480300
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33348

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DONATIONS TO THE ASSOCIATION OF PEASANTS FONDWA
If you are interested in donating to APF, you can deposit donations directly into our account. You can contact Sabrina our Veronica for assistance (their numbers are below):

The APF Account at City National Bank of New Jersey (CNB), in USA.

The Name of the account: APF (Asosyasyon Peyizan Fondwa)
Banks’ Name: CNB ( City National Bank of New Jersey )
Account Number : 1452851
ABA Number: 021 201639
Bank’s Address:
382 West 125th. Street
New York, NY 10027
Tel. 212 865 47 63 ( Sabrina Brice or Veronica Gilbert at 866 551 58 88 ext. 645)
e-mail: sbrice@citynatbank.com

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Donations will be used to satisfy immediate needs such as food, water, medicine, and temporary shelter. If you are interested in offering long-term assistance for reconstruction of Fondwa, please let us know so that we can ensure that your donation is allocated towards this. You can contact Fr. Joseph at apf222@aol.com or Allison DePasquale at aadepasquale@gmail.com.

Thank you for your support and prayers.

-University of Fondwa and Association of Peasants Fondwa

Fonkoze: Haitian Diaspora Unites Across U.S.

Fr. Joseph Philippe (pictured in the article) is the founder of both Fonkoze and the University of Fondwa.

Fonkoze has been internationally recognized as a powerful force for combatting poverty and spreading literacy and economic empowerment in rural Haiti.

Its list of accomplishments is truly astounding, with more than 150,000 customers currently benefitting from Fonkoze’s services.

I was even a customer when I lived in Haiti!

To learn more about Fonkoze, visit www.Fonkoze.org.