Rich Gosser

Visitors to Fondwa often remark how good the road is after turning South in Leogane to begin the long and winding climb along the Jacmel road into the mountains that divide the Southern "hand" of Haiti into North and South. After some truly breathtaking vistas one arrives at "Anba Tonnel" and makes a sharp turn onto the Fondwa Road that leads into the Fondwa Valley past the APF Visitors' Center.

In 1988, when the APF began to meet and talk about life in Fondwa and the challenges facing its residents, the community decided that constructing a road would bring the greatest benefit to the community. They began to work on improving what I've sometimes described as a "two foot wide ditch". About 30 men formed a "konbit" (the kind of "work group" that Haitian peasants have traditionally relied upon to get fields tilled for planting or crops harvested at the end of the rainy season) and created the Fondwa road using their hoes and picks. After some time APF was able to secure help from the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) to pave portions of the road and to install retaining walls to prevent the road from sliding down the steep mountain slopes. (Trust me they're plenty steep. I've only walked a few of 'em but speak from enough experience!)

Wind and weather (including heavy winds and heavy rains during the hurricane seasons) have taken a toll on the Fondwa road. Deep ruts and "tire eating" rocks mark some portions of the road and even walking over those parts has become treacherous, especially when it rains.

Periodically members of APF take up their farm implements - the same picks and hoes they used to create the road in the first place - and contribute a day's work in order to make the road a little less treacherous. Yesterday was one of those days. The picture below shows the "konbit" that worked on portions of the road near the St. Antoine School.

When I first began working with APF I didn't understand the importance of the road. After all, folks here don't have cars to drive. The value that the road gives to people living throughout the Fondwa valley is ACCESS. In order to sell their produce women carry it - usually on their heads and occasionally on donkeys - to the local market in Tomb Gato along the main road that leads to Jacmel. Wednesdays and Saturdays are market days in Tomb Gato. On Tuesday I was awakened at about 2 am by the sound of women and children WALKING along the Fondwa road. A few had candles to light their way. (None of the donkeys had headlights!) Most just picked their way over rocks and ruts along the road. The road needs a lot of improvement. Still it provides MUCH better access for people in the valley than they had before APF made it a priority in 1988. It is, without question, a most important community resource!

rich • Jan-Feb 2007 1 comment