In Brief:
- 🌍 For more than 26 years, Sister Paësie has devoted her life to the street children of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
- 🏚️ Despite gang violence and recurring natural disasters, the Kizito Family protects and educates over 3,000 children in the slum of Cité Soleil.
- ✝️ The faith of Haitians, rooted in adversity, remains an inexhaustible source of shared hope and resilience.
- 🤝 The Church, under intense pressure, maintains a crucial fraternal presence to support a population facing social and security fragmentation.
- 📈 Despite difficulties, the community led by Sister Paësie continues to grow, embodying Solidarité Haïti and United Hearts for a promising Path to the Future.
A long-term commitment to the children of Haiti: Sister Paësie’s vocation
Since her arrival in Haiti twenty-six years ago, Sister Paësie, originally from Nancy, has immersed herself in the heart of the complex challenges of Port-au-Prince, more precisely in the slum of Cité Soleil. Originally sent on a medical mission with the Sisters of Mother Teresa, she was confronted with another, sadly more urgent reality: that of children left to fend for themselves on the streets, often prey to extreme poverty, violence, and abandonment.
Feeling a deep calling, she founded the Kizito Family, a community dedicated to providing a safe refuge, dignified education, and spiritual presence to the most vulnerable. This initiative is not merely a social service; it represents a true Brotherly Sharing among hearts committed to living Haiti together through mutual trust and faith.
The Kizito Family today manages eight free schools, six foster homes, as well as several catechesis centers and sports activities. More than 3,000 children benefit from these structures, which allow them to escape a daily life marked by insecurity and social exclusion. This involvement shows how a local initiative can crystallize a Glimmer of Hope in conditions where misery could crush the most fragile.
- 🏫 Free schools offering adapted education.
- 🏠 Foster homes dedicated to shelter and protection.
- ⛪ Catechesis centers to strengthen faith and human values.
- ⚽ Organized sports activities to promote fulfillment.
This overview summarizes the pillars of Sister Paësie’s work:
| Action | Objective | Number of Beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|
| Free schools | Education and training | 3,000 children |
| Foster homes | Protection and shelter | Several hundred |
| Catechesis centers | Transmission of values | Several hundred |
| Sports activities | Social fulfillment | Hundreds of children |
Beyond the material dimension, Sister Paësie’s boldness is also spiritual. She embodies a constant Fraternal Presence in an environment where uncertainty and danger remain omnipresent.
In a context marked by gang violence, where forty parishes had to close their doors in Port-au-Prince, her life force provides not only tangible aid but also a comforting voice to a deeply wounded population.
Education and protection: essential foundations for the development of children in Cité Soleil
In an environment where violence and natural disasters are commonplace, ensuring free education and a protective framework is an absolute necessity. This is precisely the focus of the Kizito Family, which has built a network of schools and reception spaces in the heart of Cité Soleil.
These actions respond to essential needs:
- 📚 Providing access to quality education despite limited infrastructures.
- 🥗 Offering regular and balanced meals to children often deprived of food.
- 🛡️ Ensuring a secure refuge in a dangerous environment where gangs prevail.
- 🤲 Promoting a Living Together Haiti based on solidarity and trust.
The challenge remains colossal: the establishments often operate in precariously built structures with few resources, but the team’s dedication and the children’s unshakable faith create a true Path to the Future.
In 2025, Haiti’s socio-economic situation continues to be fragile, notably due to climate disasters like Hurricane Melissa, which struck at the end of October, causing the death of about thirty people. According to Sister Paësie, this hardship does not discourage the inhabitants; on the contrary, it sharpens their faith and strengthens their solidarity.
This reality is also illustrated by the solidarity among inhabitants in the face of adversity and the protection provided by the Church, despite the closure of many parishes due to growing insecurity.
| Category | Need Met | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Education | Free school access | 3,000 children enrolled |
| Protection | Secure foster homes | Removing children from street dangers |
| Nutrition | Regular meals | Improved children’s health |
| Moral & spiritual support | Catechesis and accompaniment | Strengthening psychological resilience |
To deepen this dimension, the organization UNICEF highlights Sister Paësie’s exemplary work which acts as a true voice of hope for the most vulnerable.
Facing violence and insecurity: a daily challenge in the heart of Port-au-Prince
Haiti, and particularly Port-au-Prince, has become the scene of organized crime by armed gangs that often impose their law in popular neighborhoods. In 2025, there are over one million internally displaced persons, victims of incessant clashes and violence. Sister Paësie and the Kizito Family operate in this extremely dangerous context, where every day is a struggle to ensure the safety of children and families.
Violence affects all sectors:
- 🔫 Control of neighborhoods by armed groups, causing parish closures and exodus of priests and residents.
- 🚨 Forced population displacements, estimated at over 1,200,000 displaced just in Port-au-Prince.
- 🏥 Deterioration of access to healthcare and basic services.
- 👩👧 Direct impact on children’s lives, exposed to physical and psychological risks.
In this situation, the Kizito Family plays a leading role. Through its action, it embodies a determined Voice of Haiti committed to providing relief and reminding how fraternal presence can transform a hostile environment.
Here is an assessment of the effects of this violence on the community:
| Factor | Consequence | Solutions Provided |
|---|---|---|
| Gang conflicts | Massive displacements, constant fear | Establishment of shelters, psychological support |
| Parish closures | Decrease in religious presence, isolation | Maintaining activities in safe zones, strengthening community bonds |
| Lack of care | Untreated illnesses and deaths | Targeted medical actions, awareness campaigns |
Fighting this daily tragedy, this Solidarité Haïti led by Sister Paësie even received encouragement from Pope Francis, who expressed his support during a remarkable phone call in February 2024. A strong echo that reinforces the energy to continue the fight.
More information about this complex situation is available in this moving interview detailed in Famille Chrétienne.
Natural disasters and resilience: when faith and solidarity face the storm
Each year, Haiti is struck by extreme weather events, including cyclones and hurricanes, worsening the vulnerability of already fragile populations. Hurricane Melissa, which passed near the island at the end of October 2024, left a painful mark with more than 30 deaths, including children.
In Cité Soleil, the consequences are dramatic:
- 🌧️ Flooding caused by overflowing rivers, threatening homes precariously built near riverbanks.
- 🏚️ Collapse and destruction of housing without suitable infrastructure.
- 🚶 Forced night-time displacement of families driven out by rising waters.
- 🤝 Exemplary mutual aid among inhabitants, reinforced by shared faith.
Despite these conditions, the Shared Hope remains a vital force for residents. Sister Paësie emphasizes that it is through these trials that religious and community vocation gains its full meaning, offering a true Path to the Future.
The very essence of this resilience is reflected in the determination to protect children and build a better tomorrow despite everything. This dynamic is also documented by L’Osservatore Romano, which highlights the importance of faith in times of crisis.
| Event | Impact | Community Response |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Melissa | More than 30 dead, material damage | Emergency actions, food aid |
| Recurring floods | Displacement of families | Temporary shelters, solidarity |
| Lack of evacuation infrastructure | Worsening of damage | Awareness campaigns |
Investing in these measures corresponds to an indispensable Fraternal Presence to rebuild a fragile social fabric.
The strength of faith and international support in Haiti’s reconstruction
Beyond local aid, Sister Paësie’s mission is rooted in a universal dimension where prayer, international support, and collective mobilization play a key role. In collaboration with numerous associations and committed actors in France and worldwide, the transcendent Solidarité Haïti helps strengthen actions and provide valuable resources.
This shared effort fits into a logic of continuous Solidarity Regards, underlining the importance of a long-term commitment that goes beyond emergency aid and focuses on the future of children. Thus, material donations and awareness efforts contribute to this daily fight for dignity and respect.
- 🎗️ Logistical and financial support from foreign partners.
- 🌐 International mobilization around humanitarian causes.
- 🙏 Collective prayer and spiritual initiatives.
- 📣 Raising awareness of the Haitian situation in the media.
To better understand this chain of solidarity, the call for general mobilization can be found on Raoul Follereau, highlighting how the Voice of Haiti carried by Sister Paësie is a lever to awaken consciences.
The associative system employs nearly 205 local employees, a figure that illustrates the ability to create jobs in a difficult context, in addition to the caring presence of the three nuns on site. This human organization demonstrates that Brotherly Sharing is more than a concept — it is a concrete daily reality that opens perspectives despite the heavy shadows over the country.
| Type of Contribution | Observed Benefits | Concrete Example |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual initiatives | Strengthening faith and cohesion | Catechesis, prayer meetings |
| Material aid | Improvement of living conditions | Food donations, school supplies |
| Associative involvement | Creation of local jobs | 205 employees in the field |
Who is Sister Paësie and what is her mission in Haiti?
Sister Paësie is a French nun who has lived in Port-au-Prince for more than 26 years. She founded the Kizito Family, a community that works for the protection, education, and care of street children in Cité Soleil.
How does the Kizito Family help vulnerable children?
The Kizito Family provides free schools, foster homes, catechesis centers, and sports activities, thus offering a safe and educational environment for more than 3,000 children.
What are the main difficulties faced by Sister Paësie and her team?
They face gang violence, recurring natural disasters, massive population displacement, and a very precarious socio-economic environment.
How does faith influence the lives of the inhabitants of Cité Soleil?
Faith is a major source of hope and inner peace among the inhabitants. Despite hardships, they profess their trust in a benevolent God, which gives them the strength to carry on.
What role does the international community play in supporting Haiti?
The international community, through associations and partners, provides financial, logistical, and spiritual support through concrete initiatives, contributing to the stability and future of the children.