Founded in 2005 by Grammy-award winning musicians Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis and Hugh Locke, Yéle Haiti is a grassroots, non-political charitable organization focusing on emergency relief, employment, youth development and education, and tree planting and agriculture.

Yéle Haiti was profoundly and permanently changed by the earthquake of January 12, 2010. The current  programs are a combination of emergency relief and long-term rebuilding. However, two programs continue from the pre-earthquake period: Yéle Vert and the Youth Orchestra of Haiti.