As a Grammy-Award winning musician, producer, social entrepreneur, activist and Haitian Goodwill Ambassador, Wyclef has become hip hop's unofficial multicultural conscience; he has assembled or participated in numerous high-profile charity benefit shows for a variety of causes, including aid for his native Haiti.
Wyclef established his own foundation, Yéle Haiti, whose mission is to extend humanitarian assistance to that country and restore the people’s pride and hope there.
Through Yéle Haiti, Wyclef supports projects that are making a difference in education, health, environment and community development and contributing to Haiti’s long-term progress.
Whether utilizing local hip-hop musicians to deliver awareness messages in forgotten neighborhoods or bringing his famous friends to Haiti to support the movement, what Wyclef radiates is profound wishes for the country.
“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 past escalation of violence, all of which brings tears to my eyes,” Wyclef said in a statement on www.yele.org .
“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 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…The objective of Yéle Haiti is to restore pride and a reason to hope, and for the whole country to regain the deep spirit and force that is part of our heritage.”
Because of Wyclef’s deep commitment to charitable causes and the amazing work he has done for his native country of Haiti, BET is proud to honor him with the 2009 Humanitarian Award.