Haiti

NPH Haiti

For more than 30 years, NPH has been in Haiti, addressing the social needs of the poorest of the poor, raising children in a loving environment, and developing future leaders. The NPH programmes are extensive, with multiple children’s homes, healthcare campuses, and educational facilities in Port-au-Prince and Kenscoff.

Haiti’s economy was seriously impacted in January 2010 when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed much of the country’s capital city, Port-au-Prince. The earthquake caused $7.8 billion in damage to Haiti, which was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80 percent of the population living below the poverty line. This disaster claimed the lives of over 200,000 people.

Father William Wasson and Fr. Rick Frechette established NPH Haiti – Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (NPFS), French for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters,” in Kenscoff, Haiti, in 1987. Our home (St Helene) is located about 40 kilometres up the mountain from the capital of Port-au-Prince. St. Helene has over 400 children and includes an elementary and secondary school, a chapel, and other amenities. The onsite school serves an additional 350 children from the Kenscoff community. We educate children all the way through to university.

Our special needs home, Kay Christine, is located inside the St. Helene complex and is home to over 30 children and adults with special needs.

NPH also operates a range of community outreach programs:

St. Damien Pediatric Hospital in Tabarre treating children up to 14 years of age.
We have three rehabilitation outpatient centres providing therapy and educating children and adults with neurological disabilities.
Father Wasson Angels of Light (FWAL) is a school which was created for vulnerable children after the devastating 2010 earthquake.

Our NPH St Damien hospital is the only children’s hospital in the whole country.

NPH Haiti is led by Fr. Rick Frechette, Kenson Kaas, Dr. Jacqueline Gautier alongside 800 dedicated staff.

*Fr. Rick Frechtte with Kenson Kaas and Alfonso Leon at our FWAL school.*

Milestones

1987: Children’s home opened in Kenscoff.

1989: Fr. Wasson started first medical centre in Petionville.

1999: Our home for special needs children opened.

2004: Outpatient services started for disabled children in Wharf Jeremy.

2006: The St Damien Paediatric Hospital opened in Tabarre.

2008: Rehabilitation centre (Kay Germaine) and school opened.

2010: 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit and the FWAL program began. Maternity, neonatal and cholera wards opened at our hospital.

2012: Fr. Rick Frechette, Director of NPH Haiti at the time, won the prestigious Opus Prize.

2012: Construction completed for FWAL program – a school and children’s home.

2017: Hurricane Irma hit Haiti, leading to a community outreach project to help devastated areas.

2020: NPH Haiti is affected by Covid19 and a worsening security situation.

2021: A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti (southwest). NPH commits to rebuilding the homes and livelihoods of 150 families.

2022: Our equestrian team participated in the USA Special Olympics in Florida, winning several medals. The security situation in Haiti continues to worsen with civil unrest, inflation and violence.

For current updates from our NPH family in Haiti, please click here.