PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, March 11 2009 - Haiti Goodwill Ambassador, Wyclef Jean arrived in Port au Prince yesterday with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former U.S. President Bill Clinton in an effort to bring worldwide awareness to Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti, which has been hit by a series of devastating storms over the past year, desperately needs help after more than 800 people died and over 1 million people were left homeless or in desperate need of recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Jean, who is from Haiti and has lead in efforts to help rebuild, educate, and create jobs with his Yele Haiti foundation was invited to accompany the former President and Secretary-General tour the region. "I was honored to show my support when they asked me to join them on this important humanitarian trip which also gave them the opportunity to experience the beauty underneath the devastation my country and its people have had to face," said Jean. "It's crucial for me to do all I can to raise awareness and help Haiti get through this tough time."
While in the country, they visited a Yele sponsored feeding program at a school in Cite Soleil and an education leadership program in Turgeau, met with President Rene Preval and senior government officials, and took a walking tour of Sonapi Industrial Park. Before the three headed off on a plane back to the US, Jean attended a press conference where Clinton and Ban summarized their trip and discussed the Hope II US trade deal which gives Haiti direct access to US markets for apparel without duty; a bill that Jean lobbied for extensively before it was passed.
Also invited on the trip were renowned physician Paul Farmer, who works extensively in the region, Deputy Chairman of the Toronto-Dominion Bank Frank McKenna, and several other business leaders.
About Yele Haiti
Yele Haiti is a movement founded by Wyclef Jean that is helping to bring hope back to Haiti. Projects are designed to make a difference in the fields of education, health, environment and community development. The power and reach of music, sports and the media is used to increase the impact of these projects. www.yele.org
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