HUMAN RESOURCE - Philanthropy
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WYCLEF OPENS HIS HEART
Wyclef Jean
Yéle Foundation Comes to Haiti’s Aid
A natural-born leader of the youth of his beloved
country Haiti, Wyclef Jean is on a mission to reshape
the future of a nation in need. The Grammy
Award-winning musician, producer and international
humanitarian, is passionate about providing
for poor and disadvantaged Haitians. And he is
making a difference and saving lives through his
Yéle Haiti Foundation. This grassroots movement
(created in 2005) has helped transform Haiti with
its focus on community programs in education,
sports, music and arts.
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Yéle Haiti also distributes
food to those in need throughout the slums of
Port-au-Prince, and has been an integral part of
mobilizing emergency relief in response to natural
disasters. In addition, it supports valuable programs
like L’Athlétique d’Haiti, a soccer and tutoring
program for 650 youth from the slums. In
simple terms, Yéle feeds over 8,000 people a
month, has created more than 3,000 new jobs and
helped 7,000 children attend school. In addition,
there are monthly HIV/AIDS prevention programs
targeted to over 2,000 young people, and ongoing
environmentally based initiatives. Wyclef has
used his celebrity status to gain support for Haiti
and enlist the help of many other celebrities. His
influence was especially important after the earthquake
that hit Haiti in January 2010. This natural
disaster of unimaginable proportion prompted
Wyclef to launch an international campaign to
raise millions in emergency relief funds. Wyclef
describes Yéle as a non-political organization intended
to empower the people of Haiti to rebuild
their nation. More than anything, Yéle and its supporters
want to provide hope, restore pride and
help the people of Haiti regain the deep spirit and
strength of their Haitian heritage.
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