back MEET SOME OF THE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FONDWA-2004! Become a partner in their progress by becoming a STUDENT SPONSOR! The University of Fondwa-2004 is giving the daughters and sons of peasant farmers from all over Haiti an opportunity to become effective agents of positive change in their home communities and in their country. Partners in Progress wants to give YOU the opportunity to help them realize their dreams for a better life and a better Haiti by inviting you to become a SPONSOR for one of these students. If you are willing to help these students help themselves and their local communities, you can sponsor all or part of their tuition ($1600 per year) or their room and board ($3400 per year). (If that sounds like a lot, keep in mind that here in the US we take for granted that utilities such as electricity and water are readily available.  In Fondwa such essential infrastructure doesn’t exist! We must create it, maintain it, and pay for it. ) If you would like to sponsor a student or make a donation to the University of Fondwa-2004, contact Dr. Rich Gosser at Partners in Progress by calling 724-238-9204 or by sending an email to him at rgosser@PIPHaiti.org.  Checks may be made out to “Partners in Progress” with “UNIF sponsorship” or “UNIF support” in the memo line and mailed to:  Partners in Progress, 329 N. Fairfield Street, Ligonier, PA. If you prefer to donate online go to the DONATIONS page! THANK YOU FOR BECOMING A PARTNER WITH US! Name: Genèse Saintilus Birthdate: February 26, 1979 Major: Business Management Genèse is from Leogane, the urban center of the region in which Fondwa is situated.  She has 5 brothers and two sisters and is the first of her family to pursue a university education. Genèse enjoys singing in the church choir. Genèse is studying business management and her goal is to obtain a Master’s degree and then work in her community with existing community organizations.   Name: Moise Iraius Birthdate: December 26, 1983 Major: Business Management Moise lives in Fondwa with his parents and three sisters.  He is the first in his family to go to university.  His dream is to improve the economy of the Fondwa region through sustainable development projects that include small business development and improved agriculture. He is a leader in Kojedaf, the Fondwa Youth Group that is active in numerous service projects,especially reforestation and preservation of the environment. Name: Faitane Bellevue Birthdate: November 15, 1981 Major: Agronomy Faitane is from Mirabalais in Haiti’s Central Plateau. She is the fifth child in her family of 5 brothers and 2 sisters and the first to go to university.  Faitane is inspired by the work of APF in Fondwa and wants to become a promoter of sustainable development in her own community.  She is especially interested in water and energy issues. Name: Charles Edner Birthdate: August 21, 1973 Major: Agronomy Charles grew up in the North of Haiti in the town of Borgne near Cape Haitian, the second largest city in Haiti.  His parents are peasant farmers and he has 5 brothers and 2 sisters.  He enjoys soccer and singing in the church choir. Charles says that before he learned about UNIF 2004, he didn’t know where his life was going.  After completing elementary school he had to drop out for four years, because at that time his parents didn’t have the money to pay for his secondary school education.  Since graduating he has taken a one-year course in communication.  Because of his family’s poverty, he had no idea of how to go about preparing for a career or profession.  “I even wondered if I had a future,” he said. “People in my community work very hard”, he says, “ but they don’t always use the best agricultural techniques.  I want to help them increase their production and have a better market for their produce.  Once I get my degree, my greatest interest is to work in my community and to work for my country so that we can all have a better tomorrow.” His main concern is finding a sponsor. He says, “I don’t have the means to pay for my education.  I think about that a lot, and sometimes I can’t sleep because I worry about it.” Name: Yonide Bernadeau Birthdate: April 13, 1981 Major: Business Management Yonide grew up in the central region of Haiti in the town of Mirabalais. She has two sisters and one brother. Two other brothers died very young. Yonide’s dream is to complete her undergraduate studies and then earn a Master’s degree before returning to her community to foster the growth of small businesses.  Some day she would like to direct a department of business management and help other young people develop as entrepreneurs! Name: Jean Claude Raider Birthdate: September 16, 1976 Major: Veterinary Medicine Jean Claude is from the coastal town of Grand Goave. He has three brothers and two sisters. Both his parents are deceased. After he completes his studies in Fondwa, Jean Claude wants to return to his community to work with peasant farmers.  His dream is to establish a training program for veterinary technicians since there are very few veterinarians in Haiti and a great need for improved animal husbandry. Name: John Obed Pierre Birthdate: September 15, 1981 Major: Agronomy John is from the picturesque town of Jacmel along the Southern coast of Haiti about 45 minutes drive from Fondwa.  His father died of cancer in 1996 and his mother works as a housekeeper at the state university. He has a very good baritone singing voice, and enjoys singing in the choir “to give God praise”, he says! John graduated from high school in 2003 and supported himself by teaching math and physics to high school freshmen. John says, “All through elementary and secondary school, I have shown quite a lot of ability.  I took a classics curriculum and it was not easy! Once I was finished with high school, I could not continue my education at the university, because I didn’t have any money. Then I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could possibly enroll in a university. I did take a course in plumbing, and I also took some other short courses. John’s desire is to be able to help his family and his community by sharing the knowledge and expertise he acquires through his study in Fondwa. John says that he will send reports to anyone willing to sponsor him so they’ll know he is working hard! Name: Norma Mathias Birthdate: October 14, 1979 Major: Agronomy Norma is the ninth child in a family that includes 4 sisters and 3 brothers. Her parents are peasant farmers in Hinche, which is in Haiti’s Central Plateau. Norma’s parents didn’t have the money to send her to attend another university, so she is very happy to have been accepted at the University of Fondwa 2004. She is one of the highest achievers in her class! Norma would like eventually to earn a Master’s degree to be even better equipped to help the people of her community.  She believes that Haiti is a rich country, because of the soil’s capacity to produce food, but admits that the peasants lack knowledge that would give them better access to the riches of their land by increasing their yields. Name: Hérold Felix Birthdate: August 8, 1974 Major: Agronomy Hérold is from Fondwa. He has two sisters.  His father is deceased and his mother is infirm.  One of his sisters has attended university. Hérold says that “Production on the steep mountain slopes of Fondwa is lower than it should be. I want to help the people of Fondwa learn how to increase their production and then find a market for their produce.” Name: Dumas Dominique Birthdate: August 2, 1974 Major: Agronomy Dumas grew up in Southern Haiti in the coastal town of Jacmel only 45 minutes from Fondwa. He has one brother and two sisters.  His father is deceased. His dream is to complete his university studies and then work with the peasant farmers of hiscommunity, teaching them agricultural techniques that will improve their production and make life better for their families.  He would like eventually to study for a Master’s degree so that he can be even better equipped to make a difference in the life of his community. Name: Hervé Alliance Birthdate: December 15, 1977 Major: Business management Hervé is from Mirabalais in the central region of Haiti. He and his four brothers and four sisters were raised by friends of his family after his father died. He does not know the whereabouts of his mother or even if she is alive.  He is the first of his family to attend university. Once he completes his studies in Fondwa Hervé would like to study for a Master’s degree so that he can know more and be better equipped to help the peasants of Mirabalais improve their living conditions.  His dream is to study abroad because he believes that such study is important in a global economy. Name: Josué Poliscar Birthdate: July 22, 1982 Major: Agronomy Josué , his parents, and one brother and one sister are from Grand Goave along the Northern coast of Haiti’s Southern peninsula.  He enjoys playing soccer, singing, and playing dominoes. His mother worked as a street vendor and made sacrifices to pay for his secondary school education in the classics.  Unfortunately, his father, who formerly worked as a lottery employee but is unemployed now, wasn’t interested in Josué’s education. “I really like school a lot, because it gives me the chance to become a professional and to work for my country. During my pre-university schooling, I was often the first in my class! (Yet) I had a lot of difficulty when I finished high school.  I tried to enroll in the state university, but I did not pass the entrance exam.  [note:  Many students do not meet the entrance requirements for the state university because the number of students admitted is so small compared to the number of applicants.]  I became really discouraged, because my parents did not have the means to send me to a private university. I took a preparatory course for agronomy, but to further my education I needed money, which I did not have. Thanks to the University of Fondwa 2004, I now have a different outlook on life.” Josué is doing very well in his studies, has grown in self-confidence and is happy at UNIF-2004. Once he finishes his agronomy studies, Josué wants to give a year of service to UNIF, because it is giving him the opportunity to get an education. Then he wants to teach others in his community what he has learned.