Home location in Haiti

Only a few hundred miles south of Florida, USA, is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the island nation of Haiti. Here, a fifth of all children die before they reach the age of five and the life expectancy rate is only 48 years old. Father William Wasson founded Nos Petit Frères et Sœurs (NPFS), Our Little Brothers and Sisters, in 1988.

NPFS has three distinct facilities: St. Hélène, a permanent home for orphaned and abandoned children; Kay Père Wasson or The Father Wasson Center, our former pediatric hospital now used for administration, rehabilitation and educational purposes; and a pediatric hospital called St. Damien Chateaublond.

St. Hélène is located 5,000 feet above sea level where the trees flourish and the air is cool. Approximately 450 children reside in this refuge, healthy and well fed. Another 175 youths are enrolled in an external program in which they live with family but receive academic scholarships.

NPFS Haiti secondary school

The entire facility is located on 15 hillside acres. There are 19 residential cottages: one is for babies and toddlers; another is for children with special needs; and the remaining are for various age groups. Visitors are always welcome: the children love the contact, wanting to be touched and held, reaching for hands to hold and wrapping their arms around waists and legs.

A Montessori pre-school and a primary and secondary school are located on site. Many older children are enrolled in the primary school because they arrive with no previous education.

The spiritual development of the children has always been of primary focus. The large, open-air amphitheater with its suspended cross, is used when mass is celebrated with all of the children. A small chapel, "Our Lady of Grace", was built for private reflection and prayer services with groups of children or volunteers. Named in memory of one of our first volunteers, Sister Grace Jennings of the Sisters of Notre Dame, it stands on the edge of the property overlooking spectacular mountain ranges. When the antique brass church bell rings, even the children of the neighboring villages know it is time for Mass.

Just outside of the capital in Pétionville (a suburb), is Kay Père Wasson or the Father Wasson Center. This five-story building, formerly known as Hospital Saint Damien, is currently being used for various programs and administration purposes.

Kay Père Wasson houses the accounting offices, a physiotherapy/rehabilitation program for children with developmental disabilities, a job training and development program for ex-pequeños teaching them management skills and it is also used to accommodate visitors.

In December 2006, a state-of-the-art pediatric hospital in Tabarre, named St. Damien Chateaublond, was inaugurated. The hospital’s main focus is on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malnutrition and cancer. This facility provides in-patient care with120 beds and out-patient care for up to 100 children daily. There is also a dental clinic, laboratory, and public health clinic on premises. Adjacent to the hospital is Kay St. Germaine, a 2,300 sq. ft., rehabilitation and physiotherapy center aimed to open in the summer of 2008. These programs reach over 30,000 people annually.