I am wondering today if I am a masochist. I am watching CNN, crying my eyes out at the plight of my Haitian brothers and sisters, yet still I am riveted by the different scenes flashing on this station, not wanting to change the channel.

They are replaying again the poignant scene of Dr Sanjay Gupta, administering needed medical assistance to the 15-day-old baby, and once more, my eyes watered, when he kissed his hand, and touched her forehead. You would have thought I would be immune to this scene as CNN has played it over and over again.

I’ve just been texted by one of my b-girls from New York, informing me to text Yele to 501501, and five dollars would have gone directly to the relief effort. This is Wyclef’s Jean’s foundation that he started several years ago and which benefits the people of Haiti — the place where he was born. It might be strange to hear me say b-girl, but my friend is one of the original hip hop heads back in the days.

Wyclef Jean is a member of world-renowned group The Fugees, whose music started a movement. I say a movement because he fused his Caribbean culture with hip hop, starting from his Haitian community, and took it to the world. The Fugees had a Caribbean link with some special Jamaican vibes. I think that in one of his feuds with another hip hop star, Wyclef was called a “Bob Marley wannabe”. Out of this group emerged Lauryn Hill, and up to this day the Caribbean community has a special love for her, as she had a whole lot of Caribbean influence going on.

Apart from his musical prowess, his Caribbean roots, and his big-ups of the Jamaican culture (he sang Jimmy Cliff’s Many Rivers To Cross, at JFK Junior funeral), I have gained new respect for him in his efforts as a humanitarian. His Yele Haiti foundation has really made a difference in Haiti; he has used his celebrity influence to better the lives of his fellow countrymen. Several years ago, there was much ado about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s visit to his native country. A lot of attention was drawn to his Yele Haiti foundation, and Haiti in general, as a result of this high-profile couple being his guest in his homeland. Haiti has had it rough, and the media is sometimes unfair in showing one dimension of this island and its people.

I know they are a poor nation, I am not in La La land about it, but I know there is much more to this nation than the supposed dark mysteries of voodoo. I think a lot of us have been downright out of order in our snubbing of Haiti. Wyclef wanted to broaden this image, and in some sense has made some headway in the public image of Haiti through his music and his humanitarian efforts.

Wyclef Jean is in Haiti. He went there immediately after the quake and has already raised more than a million dollars from his Yele Haiti foundation text messages. I haven’t tried to do this as this can be done only in the States. I just saw a feature on him in Haiti, and the fatigue and grief on his face had me going back to my masochistic ways. I started crying again. He was speaking of helping to remove dead bodies off the streets, as there are so many dead people lining the streets of Port-au-Prince. I’ve even heard mention of “mass graves” on one channel. In one of my melodramatic moments, I put my hand to my chest, thinking to be buried unnamed, being tossed in a putrefying pit of thousands of bodies. I snapped myself back to reality as the apocalyptic destruction really dawned on me. Seeing it on TV is one thing, but being there is another. I don’t think, with all of my good intentions, that I could take it.

I am thinking where Wyclef’s life has taken him, from Haiti, New York, becoming an international star being true to his roots, and now a humanitarian, using his celebrity to better people’s lives. I know the status world’s eyes are on Haiti, and I’m feeling good being a human being when the outpouring of compassion I see from people over the world and mostly from my own Jamaican people.

Although the dire predictions of our financial situation is no joke, I’m seeing Jamaicans from all walks of life finding an extra can of food to send to Haiti. I am inspired by Wyclef, because he could have stayed in America, in comfort, and still raise funds for his people. But he chose to go there and be with them in the nitty and the gritty, hands on, helping to find lives in the rubbles of what is left of Port-au-Prince.

I am wondering if we here in Jamaica, in the entertainment fraternity, will have a concert to help Haiti. I want to perform … I have the song. All the people of Jamaica who are feeling Haiti’s pain would support it. It would be one communal event where we could sing our prayers up to the heavens in solidarity with Haiti.

Jimmy Cliff’s Many Rivers To Cross is echoing in my head.