Our Kindred Journey

Blog Posts and News

There is simply no more fitting name to describe the core mission of this humble, faith-based organization, tirelessly dedicated to assisting the poorest of the poor in the nearby country of Haiti.  By living amongst the peasants of the Central Plateau in the region surrounding the village of Pandiassou, over the past several decades the Little Brothers and Little Sisters of the Incarnation have made great strides in improving the lives of thousands of Haitian citizens — all this while working diligently to educate them and to instill sound Christian values.  In the words of their leader, Brother Francklin Armand, their primary objective is “to become one with the peasants” so that they can facilitate their physical and spiritual passage to a better standard of living. 

Reducing the kind of endemic poverty that has ravaged this region for hundreds of years is no simple task.  But the Little Brothers and Sisters have a clear-cut, four-pronged strategy, focused in four key areas:

·         Basic infrastructure development

·         General education of children and adults

·         Creation of economic opportunities

·         Spiritual formation and growth

Kindred Journey Fund Inc. is a U.S.-based registered 501(c)(3) public charity which serves as a key financing source for the Little Brothers and Little Sisters of the Incarnation.   Although formally established as a corporation in 1989, the founders of Kindred Journey have been actively working to support the efforts of the Little Brothers and Sisters ever since the early 1980’s. 

Funding provided by Kindred Journey has been concentrated almost exclusively in the area of infrastructure development, geared to the establishment of reliable sources of water and nutrition for the local people.  Please refer to our Projects page for more details on how donations have been and are being successfully used.

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April 8, 2023

Easter message:

Dear Friends of the fraternities in Haiti,

I take this opportunity to pass on to you the Easter greetings and prayers from Br. Francklin and the Little Brothers and Sisters of the Incarnation in Haiti.

Life is difficult, but life continues…please continue to keep our brothers and sisters in your prayers.
United in prayer, with faith in the Risen Lord,
Blythe

In the locality of Saintard, in the commune of Arcahaie, the shortage of basic necessities and widely sought after products such as fuel is felt like many other localities in the capital of Haiti and its surrounding areas in the face of the phenomenon of gang domination that the country is currently experiencing. The black market is becoming the norm because of the risks that traders run to get products here. Thus, the prices of products already rarely available are shockingly high. Faced with this situation, Brother Francklin Armand, founder of the religious communities of the Little Brothers and Sisters of the Incarnation (PFI/PSI) of the Roman Catholic Church, and Captain Florand Cadet of the Salvation Army decided to unite to help the population. They bring fuel from Petit-Goâve and flour from Carrefour by sea using boats from the PFI/PSI community. Thus, not only will these two products be available on the local market of Saintard, they will be at a more affordable price than that of the black market. Their efforts are aimed at providing relief from the shortage. This initiative they have taken together shows that people of different religions can work together to help their communities. They also proved that compassion and solidarity are universal values that can transcend religious and cultural differences. They hope their work will inspire others to unite for good, creating a groundswell of support and solidarity across the region. Because, even in the most difficult moments, it is possible to find solutions when we work together. Their example of cooperation can serve as a model for communities around the world.

May 27, 2022

Chapel in Saintard,  Haiti dedicated to St. Charles de Foucauld

Dear friends at Kindred Journey, 

Francklin asked me to send pictures to you all, and unfortunately, they are not in any particular order.   Since the fraternities in Haiti were unable to travel to Italy for the canonization of Br. Charles de Foucauld on May 15, 2022–they wanted to mark the celebration in a more lasting way.

They were able to sell a parcel of land which they bought decades ago for pennies on the dollar and to use those funds to build a chapel at the retreat center in Saintard.   They inaugurated it one week after the canonization in the name of St. Charles de Foucauld.  Below, you will see some of the photos.   I will also try to send you some YouTube links of the ceremony and radio interviews that were done on site with regard to the new chapel…not sure how successful I will be with that, since those will have to be in a different email.   Unfortunately, the videos are 100% in Creole.

The Chapel is part of the whole campus in Saintard where there is the nutritional and economic complex dedicated to the memory of Msgr. Gaus.   Saintard has become the focus for much of the activity of the Incarnation fraternities these last 10 years, and the work begun in the Plateau Centrale amidst the paysanery has evolved and adapted to poor fishing villagers living in squalor on the coast of Haiti. 

Looking forward to a glorious Ascension and spirit-filled Pentecost, 

Blythe