News

June 5, 2006

Wyclef Jean’s Foundation Yéle Haiti Distributes Radios in Seguin

Radios Were Distributed To Give Haitians in Seguin A Means To Receive News And Information

Seguin, Haiti – June 5, 2006- Wyclef Jean’s foundation, Yéle Haiti, with the help of Fondation Seguin, distributed battery operated radios to people in the mountains of Seguin on Monday, June 5 The purpose of distributing radios was to give people in the remote areas of the mountains a source to receive news and information As many people in the mountains cannot read or write, radios were distributed that had cassette tape players so that the recipients could listen to letters in the form of audio tapes that they typically receive from their family and friends in other countries The radios also had cassette recorders so that they could create audio tapes to send to their families

When the Yéle Haiti team showed up for the distribution, the intended recipients were prepared with a speech, a prayer and a song as part of a ceremony they planned and created to show their appreciation for the distribution The radios were distributed with four sets of batteries, blank cassette tapes and a cassette tape that had music by Wyclef Each recipient also received an avocado tree from Fondation Seguin One of Fondation Seguin’s missions is to plant fruit bearing trees so that the environment gets replenished and so people may have a future income from them
For many, this was the first radio that they had ever owned in their life As one of the primary solutions to poverty is education, having a radio to access news and information is one practical step to take to provide Haitians with the tools to help lift themselves out of their extreme poverty And, as Wyclef incorporates music into development, having a radio provides them with a source for entertainment as well as news and information

Fondation Seguin, the NGO that assisted in the distribution of the radios, is an environmental NGO that Yéle Haiti supports for its “Ecole Verte” Haïti’s vegetal cover has shrunk to less than 2% Its mountains are on the brink of destruction The pressure on the remaining forests is enormous The deforestation of Haïti’s last remaining forests is at the root of many of the recent disastrous floods The “Parc National La Visite” in Seguin is one of these last forested areas in Haïti that are theoretically protected Fondation Seguin was created to address the problem in the region Such programs are: The implementation of a bamboo forest in Seguin and the maintenance and erosion control on two local roads (Furcy/Kasedan and Kasedan/Seguin), providing employment and soil retention materials and techniques; the construction of public water fountains; the construction of benches and tables for local elementary schools; and the ongoing program of school children involvement in fruit tree planting
Yéle Haiti will continue to support projects in the mountains of Seguin, as well as expanding its current list of 17 projects.