Haitianite.com is pleased to feature Wyclef Jean among other Haitians who are doing an outstanding job in helping Haiti. Wyclef Jean was born on October 17, 1972, as Nelust Wyclef Jean in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. The name Wyclef speaks for itself. He is one of the most loved and respected entertainers and humanitarians in the world stage. He is famous as a rapper, producer, and a pioneer member of the Fugees. Jean has worked and continues to work on an array of projects seeking to alleviate the lives of others. It was in September 2004, after hurricane Jeanne swept the historic landmark city of Gonaives in Haiti, that the mega star decided to fully pull up his sleeves and joined the rescue efforts in Gonaives. Throughout Haiti, the worst damage occurred in Gonaives, where over 2,000 people died as a result of flooding and mudslides caused by the storm.
Jean would not stop short of helping his fellow Haitians and so he decided to found Yéle Haiti in 2004. Yéle Haiti is a Non-Governmental Organization aims to empower the people of Haiti in an effort to rebuild the nation. Yéle is not just an NGO, it’s a complete movement where the power of music is combined with the tools of development to chart a new course for Haiti. The projects involve education, environment, health, jobs, athletics and humanitarian assistance. Partnered with AmeriCares, one of Yéle’s greatest projects is the community healthcare. As there is no proper healthcare infrastructure in Haiti, and the government can provide limited health services to the average Haitians, Haitianite.com is proud of Yéle’s initiative in the healthcare sector.
Led by Wyclef Jean, Yéle Haiti’s mission is to create small-scale projects which will contribute to Haiti’s progress in the long run. The organization reflects the passion of Wyclef, which is to witness a safer and prosperous Haiti. Here’s a copy of a statement issued by Wyclef Jean, which is also available on the Yéle Haiti webpage (http://www.yele.org/).
“Haiti is my native country, one I know as the first black nation to gain independence in 1804. Most other people seem to know Haiti only by the statistics about how bad things are there. The majority of its 8 million residents live on less than $1 per day. Unemployment is close to 80 percent. Average life expectancy is less than 50 years. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
“I have been spending a lot of time talking with people in my native country to try and understand what is behind these statistics and the recent escalation of violence, all of which brings tears to my eyes. I have had conversations with gang leaders, met with the police officers and sat down with the leaders of the militias and the army. I have had meetings with the interim government. I have talked with Haitians from all walks of life, all colors of skin, all backgrounds and beliefs. From all these people I hear only one thing in my head and feel only one thing in my heart, that there is only one Haiti. Every Haitian loves their country like a mother loves her child.
“I see old women with large bags of rice on their heads and men on street corners selling sugarcane and mangos, all just trying to survive with a strong sense of pride. Walking past a church in my village, I hear the congregation singing an appeal to God to hear their cries and grant deliverance to Haiti. Through experiences like this I sense where my mother and my father got their strength. Now the whole country needs to reach deep into the spirit and strength that is part of our heritage.”
Haitianite.com hopes to be fortunate enough to join the world of Yéle Haiti’s and wishes that other Haitians follow the footsteps of Wyclef Jean. At Haitianite.com, we believe that Haiti necessitates more of Wyclef’s genres. Haitianite.com proudly takes off its hat to Wyclef Jean and Yéle Haiti.
