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PAQÉMO, music in the Service of Education and Hope in Haiti
PAQÉMO, music in the Service of Education and Hope in Haiti
PAQÉMO, music in the Service of Education and Hope in Haiti

PAQÉMO, music in the Service of Education and Hope in Haiti

PAQÉMO, short for "Projet Artistique de Quartiers et Éducatif Musical en Orchestre" (Neighborhood Artistic and Educational Orchestral Music Project), is an ambitious initiative launched in 2022 by the Association Musicale et Éducative à Vocation Sociale (AMEVS), co-founded by Jéricho Pierre-Noël and Cecilia Madolena Clénard, Haitian students at Sorbonne University. Today, the project includes other names such as Sargine Any Melissa Bernard, Mohamed Etamine, Ege Tarik Eken, Youssef Naccache, and Sohann List Massaregli, all Sorbonne students dedicated to promoting access to musical education in Haitiparticularly classical musicas a tool for holistic development. The goal of PAQÉMO’s founders is to use music as a means of education, inclusion, and social transformation, integrated alongside the traditional Haitian school curriculum.

Haïti
Haïti
Haïti

A Free Educational and Artistic Project

One of the most remarkable aspects of PAQÉMO is that it’s freeespecially meaningful in the economically struggling rural areas of Haiti. This project offers free musical education to children and teenagers aged 6 to 18 in remote areas such as Belladère. They learn to play musical instruments (violin, cello, flute), read music, and perform in orchestras. PAQÉMO also plans concerts to promote their talents. The most talented students may have opportunities to collaborate with orchestras in France, such as COSU and Orchestre à l’École. This proves that the project goes far beyond simple music trainingit’s a chance to build self-confidence, discipline, and global exposure for Haitian youth.

Haïti
Haïti
Haïti

Tangible Social Impact

Partner schools, including the Laïcat Music School, Maranatha Mixed School, and Lycée Charlemagne Péralte, open their doors to PAQÉMO for music learning sessions. Children, often exposed to unstable environments, find in music a space for safety, creativity, and dreams. By fostering personal and collective development, PAQÉMO actively contributes to the social rebuilding of Haitian communities.

Haïti
Haïti
Haïti

National and International Recognition

PAQÉMO is supported by both international and Haitian institutions. Organizations such as Sorbonne University, Université Quisqueya, Paris 8 University, Chanson d’Haïti, and Woodbrass Music Instruments, along with French music schools like CAICAT, JIDO, and CADENCE, endorse the project. In 2024, PAQÉMO was awarded the Grand Prize for Access to Culture by the Charles Defforey Foundation (Institut de France), along with €100,000 in funding. This recognition reinforces the project’s legitimacy and supports its expansion: by June 2025, PAQÉMO aims to reach over 2,000 children across 20 sites nationwide.

Haïti is known as a land rich in talent and cultural diversity. PAQÉMO represents a source of hope for the development of thousands of children and is a powerful example of how the Haitian diaspora can positively contribute to Haiti’s growth.

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About the Author
Moise Francois
Moise Francois
Moise Francois

Journalist editor, poet and apprentice lawyer.

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Meet Edison Juste: An Outstanding Singer

Beyond the chaos, in the heart of the desolation, there are voices that resonate. They shatter the silence, depicting the macabre reality of everyday life in a thousand shards, thus defying evil to give meaning to life and make each day a place where hope flows like a stream of honey. Edison Juste’s voice is one of them: it sings of hope, of love, while praising God. It was in Carrefour, 27 years ago, that the young singer’s sun rose within a family of four children. Edison Juste is the youngest. Between the diplomat, the lawyer, and the entrepreneur that he is, singing remains his greatest passion for this young married man. Like many Haitian singers, Edison Juste took his first steps at a very early age in a choir—Yahvé Shama—alongside children his own age. He would later become the lead singer. This was in 2010. Asked about his first real encounter with music, he replied: q~It was in 2013 that I really started singing. It was during a competition organized by Styl Doz at the Évangélique de la Grâce church,~q, says the active member of the group YES (Yon Enstriman Sen), who also expresses his gratitude to singer Joseph Rhousteau, who inspired and coached him for several years. Edison Juste stands out not only for his style, but also for his versatility. His ability to make the notes vibrate with a moving candor seems limitless. Yet, he has his preferences: q~There isn’t a single style that characterizes me. I see myself as a liquid: I take the shape of the container. Even if I remain haunted by Worship, Compass, and Jazz, he confides. Today, the Carrefour native boasts a rich and varied musical repertoire. From 2010 to 2025, he has grown both in maturity and in renown: five competition wins, his first song recorded in 2018, joining the band YES, his participation in the second album, Se pou m beni, a collaboration with Amos César in a musical, and his contribution to the album Anprent by maestro Berwin Sydney. For him, this journey is already a great source of inspiration. Edison Juste never does without the presence of God, whether in the creative process or during his stage performances: "What influences and motivates me the most is always the presence of Elohim, and the audience’s desire to savor and appreciate my work," he says.

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History

History

First black nation to free itself from slavery and gain independence from France in 1804 and influenced other liberation movements around the world, inspiring struggles for freedom and equality.

Natural beauty

Natural beauty

Haïti is blessed with spectacular natural landscapes, including white sand beaches, mountains and rich biodiversity.

Heritage

Heritage

Haïti has a rich historical heritage, including sites like the Citadelle Laferrière and the Sans-Souci Palace, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Culture

Culture

Haïti has a rich and diverse culture, influenced by African, European and indigenous elements. Haitian music, dance, art and cuisine are celebrated around the world.

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