Papaloko4Kids Inc., is a non-profit organization founded by Haitian artist Jude “Papaloko” Thegenus with the mission of empowering children through the arts. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jude came to the United States in the mid ‘80s and established himself in Miami as an artist and musician, making his best effort to preserve and promote the richness of Haitian culture.
Having witnessed the tragic living conditions that many Haitian children experience in his home country, Jude committed himself to help the youth in need using the talents he was given, his art. This is how the idea of creating Papaloko4Kids came to life. In Jude’s own words: “Papaloko4Kids is a dream come true. It is a project I have been working on ever since I left Haiti in 1986, with the image of the poor kids wondering the streets of Port-Au-Prince……“.
The organization has established a center in Miami where the children can play music, dance, paint and express their talents. The goal is to expose the children to a positive environment and foster their growth with a sense of community and unity. Papaloko4Kids organizes music and art workshops for kids also at local schools. The activities of the organization are open to children of all backgrounds, with special emphasis on those from underserved communities.
The organization is also planning to start after school programs for elementary and middle school kids, aimed at teaching music and art. In addition, one of the long-term goals of Papaloko4Kids is to establish a center in Haiti, in the town of Leogane, that will provide the kids with a safe place to learn music, arts and crafts and, at the same time, find a warm meal and caring people.
To support all these initiatives Papaloko4Kids needs the help of everybody in the community. Help can come in the form of items, services, volunteer time or monetary donations. Since every penny, every dime, every dollar counts, we welcome contributions of any amount. Most importantly, since Papaloko4Kids is a non-profit corporation, every donation made to the organization is tax-deductible (with the donation you will receive a receipt to be used for this purpose).
PAPALOKO4KIDS 