Origin Story

In 2003, when Dave and I were newlyweds and recent graduates of Duke Divinity School, we made the first of many leaps and moved to Haiti. We lived in Fondwa for two years, and during that time we worked at the community school and invested ourselves in building relationships with Fondwa neighbors.

In 2005, we moved to Indiana and began serving churches in the United Methodist Church. Despite the distance, our bond with Fondwa remained steadfast as we continued to visit whenever possible, often bringing church groups along to share in their experiences.

Everything changed on January 12, 2010, when a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Haiti to its core. I found myself in Fondwa at the time, just 15 miles from the epicenter. Witnessing the destruction and its shocking aftermath firsthand ignited a fire within the Dave and me and our friends, leading to the formation of a grassroots effort composed of Haitians and Americans to rebuild homes lost in the disaster. In seven years, we rebuilt 17 houses.

Our group decided we wanted to make a longer-term impact with a strategic approach. Feedback from the Fondwa community was a need to expand our scope by building more houses, not just replacing those lost, because a place to live is the first step in creating family stability and transforming lives.

In 2018, we formed a non-profit organization called Zanmi (zah-me) Fondwa to carry out our work. The name means “Friends of Fondwa” and was inspired by the act of friends coming together and taking action to help the community. Zanmi Fondwa’s strategy was founded on building high-quality, long-lasting homes that will create family stability for generations to come.

A key to our organization’s success is the partnership with Haitians, beginning with our co-founder and director of operations, Luckner Raymond. Raised in Fondwa, Luckner graduated from St. Antoine School and studied Management at the University of Fondwa. Luckner brings a strong combination of field and technical experience to our team, as well as an inspiring spirit as he manages all aspects of these life-changing building projects for Fondwa families.

In 2024, we became a National organization for Haiti, and to honor this change we became Project Rouj. The name pays homage to the red “rouj” roof, which is a symbol for the homes we have built and will build in Haiti. Project Rouj is supported 100% by donations from individuals, churches, corporations and special grants.

Jamalyn Peigh Williamson