As part of its Community Outreach Initiative, 54 Kingdoms in collaboration with Addicted to African & Caribbean Magazine (ATAC Mag), which served as a partner and media support for the Built For Haiti campaign donated a sum of $2,088.08 in support of the rebuilding of communities in Haiti, following the devastating earthquake of January 2010.
The ‘Built for Haiti’ campaign, a non-profit initiative established to help Haitians in rebuilding their country and communities, took off right after 54 Kingdoms debuted at Africa Fashion Week (New York) in July 2010. A six month campaign to raise monetary donations to support the Edeyo Foundation was launched thereafter. ‘Built for Haiti’ held three small fundraisers and a benefit concert as part of the campaign, aiding it to raise a total of $2,088.08 to help Edeyo with the reconstruction of Joyous Heart School in the Bel Air region of Port Au Prince, Haiti.
The Benefit Concert, hosted by Ms. Rebekah Frimpong (Founder of Mama Africa Program) took place at the Aronow Theater, City College of New York with performances by City College of New York (CCNY) Choir, Rafiya (singer, Pennsylvania – Congolese born), Melanie Charles (singer, New York – Haitian), Jon Bibbs (singer, Virginia), Carolyn Harding (singer, New York), Jeffrey Dessources (Poet, New York – Haitian), Sophia Vilceus (Poet, New York – Haitian), Young Women Drumming and Empowerment Project (Washington DC), and the Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) Steppin' Up Drill Team (Connecticut).
54 Kingdoms traveled to Haiti on behalf of the ‘Built for Haiti’ team and donors, alongside the Edeyo staff in February 2011 to present the cheque to the school and its faculty, as well as to help with creating a curriculum and after-school activities for the children.
Both 54 Kingdoms and ATAC Magazine are companies ran by young and enterprising US-based Ghanaians including Kwaku Awuah (President, 54 Kingdoms L.L.C.), Nana Poku (C.E.O & Founder, 54 Kingdoms L.L.C.), and JustMark Anim, C.E.O., ATAC Magazine. “Moving forward, 54 Kingdoms and ATAC Magazine will maintain the relationship with the Edeyo Foundation to assist the organization in reaching its operational goals, comments Kwaku Awuah.
The Edeyo foundation (literally meaning “Help Them” in Haitian Creole) is an independent, nonprofit 501 C3 registered organization based in New York City. Edeyo was founded in 2007 and established the Joyous Heart School in Bel-Air (Port-au-Prince) serving approximately 300 students aged 3 – 12 and providing uniforms and one nutritious meal a day. This school was completely destroyed in the earthquake of January 2010, killing six students. As a result of the earthquake, the school is now operating in temporary rented buildings, with the goal of re-opening a newly constructed school in the near future. Their goal is now to turn catastrophe to opportunity, by building and operating a high-quality, innovative, and sustainable community school and expanding that footprint across the region to impact the lives of more students. Follow on Website, Facebook, Twitter
