Healing Haiti

Sweepin' the clouds away
Sesame Workshop and Mercy Corps partner to heal Haiti

Following the January 12 earthquake that ravaged Haiti, Mercy Corps was one of many organizations that hit the ground running. Throughout 2010, it has actively participated in a number of heavy-lifting projects, including delivering emergency food supplies and creating drainage ditches, clean water systems, and latrines.

But when it came time to begin healing the minds of the Haitian children who were traumatized by the disaster, the Portland, Ore.-based nonprofit joined with a group that has been the source of many sunny days -- Sesame Workshop.

Mercy Corps and Sesame Workshop, the New York City-based nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, formed a partnership to produce and distribute educational programming to the children of Haiti. One of Mercy Corps' initial needs was for content produced in Haiti's native tongue, so Sesame Workshop dubbed a DVD featuring two Sesame Home Videos into Creole. Cinderelmo, starring Keri Russell, follows Elmo as he escapes from his evil stepmother and seeks true love with a princess. Happy Healthy Monsters features Haiti's own Wyclef Jean and other celebrities promoting healthy, active lifestyles.

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