Wyclef Jean and his Yele Haiti Foundation have joined forces with World Food Programme (WFP) and Pan American Development Foundaion (PADF) to announce the launch of "Together For Haiti" (Kombit Pou Ayiti), a partnership committed to providing food, creating jobs and supporting local agriculture as part of a coordinated emergency response to the current food crisis.
So far they have raised $3 million as a combination of cash and in-kind donations to cover the first six months of operation. The goal is to raise 10 million by the end of the year and 48 million over two years.
The press conference, held 5/20/08 at the Gansevoort Hotel in the meat packing dristict of NYC, (symbolic in itself), boasted an impressive gathering of Haitian dignitaries, economist Jeffrey Sachs, supermodel Petra Nemcova, who has visited Haiti on behalf of Yele Haiti before, and singer/songwriter Paul Simon. Simon currently has a duet, "Fast Car", with Jean from the Haitian superstar's latest album, "Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant".
There was a hush in the room when Jean introduced Simon as his idol and mentor. Simon told the press, who gathered around him in admiration and curiosity, that he will do his part to help the cause.
Donations came in from Russell Simmons and Voila, the mobile company that serves Haiti.
For more information or to make a donation, please visit
Yele Haiti and
Together For Haiti.
CLICK HERE to watch Wyclef's discussion on ending Haiti's food crisis on CNN American Morning.