We are returning to Haiti a small portion of the gift they shared with us more than 200 years ago—the spirit, dedication and passion of Venerable Pierre Toussaint.
The parish of St Jean Baptiste, founded in 1996, serves about 10,000 people over about 25 square miles in a rural area in southwestern Haiti. Sassier has no paved roads, sewers, electricity or other public services. Most inhabitants engage in subsistence farming and a variety of small businesses. Most of the area has no access to motorized transportation.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with average per capita income of $400 per year and average life expectancy of 48 years.