A host of celebrities gathered in Manhattan today (October 30) to rally support for Love ‘N Haiti, a recycling project in Port-au-Prince that turns everyday trash into energy.
Rapper Tony Yayo, Melky Jean (Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and Wyclef Jean’s sister), actor Jamie Hector (“The Wire”), actress Daphnee Duplaix (“One Life to Live”) and Mona Scott-Young (Monami Entertainment) encouraged New Yorkers to vote online for the eco-friendly program to win an international grant sponsored by the BBC World News.
“Love ‘N Haiti has benefits that reach far beyond the shores of my native country,” Melky Jean told AllHipHop.com in a statement. “It’s an innovative way to help clean up our planet while addressing the issues of poverty, unemployment and crime. This is a movement that everyone – Haitian or not – needs to get behind.”
The Love ‘N Haiti initiative aims to gather support to win a global competition for a grant to continue the recycling project in Port-Au-Prince, which aid in decreasing deforestation, creating jobs and reducing incidence of floods.
Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons, Garcelle Beauvais, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Wyclef Jean are also among the supporters of the project, one of 12 finalists in the competition.
“I’m proud to be a part of this campaign, not only because it’s for my people, but because I care about our environment,” added Wyclef. “All it takes is one vote to make a difference. We need everyone to support Love ‘N Haiti.
To log your vote for Love ‘N Haiti, visit http://www.theworldchallenge.co.uk/index.php.
Voting ends November 13.