Thug Life Army

Solo hip hop artist, member of the hip hop trio The Fugees and activist for his home land Haiti, Wyclef Jean and his foundation Yele Haiti's has a new partnership with the KATA -- Konbit Ak Tet Ansanm -- job creation initiative, a USAID-funded program implemented by CHF International.

Launched in January 2005 by founder hip hop activist and Haitian-born hip hop and rap artist Wyclef Jean, Yele Haiti funds projects in education, health, environment and community development, using music, sports and the media in innovative ways to reach the public.

"After some 200 years of neglect, almost everything is a priority in Haiti: health, education, infrastructure, jobs, security, justice – all that's needed to achieve a healthy economy and a stable, vibrant society," said the hip hop activist Wyclef Jean, during his testimony before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Committee on Foreign Affairs at the U.S. House of representatives.

This new partnership between Yele and KATA will advance economic development and stability in Haiti, by fostering initiatives linking job creation, education and the arts. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, with close to 80 percent unemployment, and an average life expectancy of only 53 years.

The new partnership spans a number of areas of focus, including vocational training centers in five of Haiti's most volatile areas – Port au Prince, Petit Goave, St. Marc, Gonaives and Cap Haitien; it will support the development of Yele Cuisine, a micro enterprise model that will train over 1,000 women to become the owners of food distribution outlets in slum areas; and it will support a national hip hop competition working to raise awareness on a number of social issues.

Funded by the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development, CHF International launched the 4-year, US $81.5 million KATA program in November 2006 to advance stability through the creation of immediate and durable jobs and the rehabilitation of key infrastructure.

Founded in 1952, CHF International's mission is to be a catalyst for long- lasting positive change in low- and moderate-income communities around the world, helping families improve their economic circumstances, environment and infrastructure. CHF has worked in nearly 100 countries worldwide since its inception. Please visit their web site at www.chfinternational.org.

Visit the web site of Wyclef Jean at http://www.wyclef.com