Michelle Rodriguez: Helping Haiti’s Kids Will Save Haiti

The key to Haiti's future lies in educating its youngest citizens so they can one day rebuild and lead a stronger nation, Avatar star Michelle Rodriguez told guests at the Edeyo Foundation's rocking "Change for Haiti" fundraiser.

"Third World countries are Third World countries because of the lack of education of the adults who lead those countries," Rodriguez, the evening's host, told more than 300 guests at the benefit at Manhattan's swanky Bowery Hotel.

"So if it all starts with education, and you start educating the children, and you start helping them be healthy enough to absorb this education, then don't you think we might actually be able to make a difference on that beautiful little island right below us? Yeah!" said Rodriguez, with Edeyo founder, nightlife impresario and Tonic contributor Unik Ernest standing by her side, cheering her on.

"So let's raise some money tonight and let's have fun and let's just have a joyous moment in acknowledging that we're all going to help educate these kids in Haiti and we're all going to help feed them and clothe them and find them a place to live," she told the raucous crowd. "That's the mission. To help these people out!"

Other celebrities who joined Rodriguez at Edeyo's third-annual fundraiser were John Legend and Russell Simmons. The benefit raised money to help rebuild the Haitian school that Ernest had built three years ago, which the January earthquake destroyed. In 2007, Ernest founded Edeyo (which means "help them," in Haitian Creole), and raised thousands of dollars to build the Ecole Communautaire du Bel-Air Herve Romain Coeur Joyeux (see above) in Bel-Air, one of the poorest shantytowns of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. The school provided more than 300 children with free education, a daily meal and a sense of comfort – until January 12, when the 7.0 earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, which left the school in ruins.

Not only does Edeyo have to rebuild the school, he has to buy new land. "We sent an architect to the site where the school is now," Ernest told Tonic. "The school is located a few blocks from the National Palace, where the epicenter of the earthquake was. Because of the destruction of the school and in the area surrounding the school, we cannot rebuild the school there."

Still, Ernest remains undaunted in his mission to help the people of his native Haiti. "We will do this," he says.

He also hopes that the benefit will help keep the needs of the Haitian people "fresh in everyone's minds," he told Tonic. "We thank everyone so much for supporting the people of Haiti. But the Haitian people are still in need. People are still living in tents. It's very hot there right now. Conditions are not that great there right now. Not much has been done since the earthquake. A lot more needs to be done to help the people there."

Like Rodriguez, Ernest believes that education is the key to Haiti's future. "If you take care of the children, they will build a better Haiti," he says.

Thanks, Unik, for your unwavering dedication to help the people of Haiti – in the face of so many challenges.

Photo by Angela George via Wikimedia Commons; photo by Nigel Barker for Edeyo.