U.S. Hip-Hop star Wyclef Jean arrived in Port au Prince yesterday with former U.S. President Bill Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a high profile trip to Haiti.
The appearance is part of an effort to bring attention to the Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
Jean was part of a U.N. Security Council delegation on a four-day mission to Haiti, to economic progress before upcoming key elections.
“I was honored to show my support when they asked me to join them on this important humanitarian trip which also gave them the opportunity to experience the beauty underneath the devastation my country and its people have had to face,” Jean said in a statement. “It’s crucial for me to do all I can to raise awareness and help Haiti get through this tough time.”
Over 1 million people have been displaced by storms, floodings and hurricanes over the past several years, causing further damage to the impoverished nation.
Jean, a native of the island, along with Clinton and Gen. Ki-moon, met with Haiti’s President Rene Preval and senior government officials, toured various schools and took a walking tour of Sonapi Industrial Park.
Last week Jean and his sister Melky attended a rally in Pompano, Beach Florida about the U.S.’s plans to deport over 30,000 Haitians to their homeland, a move many see as racist.
According to reports, the Grammy-award rapper is planning to build a school in conjunction with his non-profit organization, Yele Center.