What's Happening

October 19, 2026, Adrian, Michigan – Haiti has long been seen as a nation struggling with violence and financial hardship, but Dominique Boyer, Director of Sèvis Finansye Fonkoze (SFF), Fonkoze Financial Services, gave Adrian Dominican Sisters a reason to hope for the future of families from Haiti. 

She offered “An Invitation to Hope in Action,” a special presentation to Sisters, after the annual meeting of the Congregation’s Portfolio Advisory Board (PAB) and Office on September 25, 2026.

“For many years, the Adrian Dominican Sisters have been important partners to Fonkoze,” Dominique said. “You came at a most critical moment. It was an expression of trust…. Your support has not been in vain. It has helped Fonkoze to continue serving and building institutions that exist today.” 

The Fonkoze Foundation was established in 1996, and one of its programs, SFF, was incorporated in 2004. SFF offers the people of Haiti several products and services to help them lift themselves out of poverty: micro and small business loans, savings products, international and domestic money transfer services, currency exchange, and payroll services. In 2021, SFF became the first microfinance institution to be licensed by the Banque de la République d’Haiti. 

FFS operates about 21 branches throughout Haiti, offering a variety of financial services to the local residents who would otherwise have no access to financial services, Dominique said.  

In addition, through close to 1,500 Solidarity Centers, women in local areas come together to learn about ways to help their families become more financially independent. 
“The centers can be under a tree, in a school, in a church,” Dominique explained. “When we go into a community, we work with everybody.” 

Many of the women in the centers are granted microcredit loans to help them establish or improve their small businesses, Dominique said. Some 98% of SFF’s clients in core loan products are women. Many begin with small loans, such as $100. “They have six months to pay back the loan, and then they can get another loan,” often for a larger amount. “We have a relationship with them where we can sit with them and talk with them.” 

SFF has worked to build resiliency with the people of Haiti, Dominque said, yet the mission is still unfinished. Some 67% of Haitians have no access to an account at a financial institution. “Expanding responsible credit, savings, and digital services is a national priority,” she said. She added that a loan recently approved by the PAB will continue to help SFF in its efforts to serve the people of Haiti.

“You really supported us from the beginning, and we wanted to let you know this is where we are today,” Dominique told the Adrian Dominican Sisters. “You continue to stand with us. You believe in our mission.”
 
Learn more about Fonkoze and SFF in this video of Dominique’s presentation:

Caption for above feature photo: Dominique Boyer, Director of Sévis Finansye Fonkoze (SFF), offers an update about her organization to a group of Adrian Dominican Sisters. 

October 22, 2026, Miami Shores, Florida – A delegation from Barry University, a sponsored institution of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, will be among participants in the Jesuits’ annual Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice. This is another example of Barry University’s increasing collaboration with the Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) in advocacy for justice.

The 2026 Teach-in for Justice – to be held Saturday to Monday, November 14-16 in Washington, D.C. – offers advocacy training, keynote addresses, and breakout sessions to members of Jesuit institutions and to the greater Catholic Church, as well as the opportunity to be involved in advocacy for justice on the final day. 

Rob Roa, Director of Ministry and Community Outreach at Barry University, told staff members of ISN that Barry students live out the call to work for justice and walk with the marginalized every day. About 20 Barry students recently lived out this call at a migrant justice public witness, held in Miami and organized by ISN staff.

“Our students come to us already seeking ways to be connected to their community, ways to serve and walk alongside their communities,” Rob told the ISN staff. “What I’m excited for is for them to see that they’re not alone in this journey.”

Read more about Barry University’s involvement with the Ignatian Solidarity Network and with social justice work in this article written by the ISN staff.