Actor Sean Penn Has Become a Major Player in Haiti Recovery

Defying skeptics and surprising Haitians, actor Sean Penn has put down roots in the embattled Caribbean country and cemented himself as a key player in its post-earthquake recovery, writes the Associated Press.

The two-time Oscar winner had never been to Haiti before the January 2010 quake, which killed some 300,000 people. Taking charge of a group of volunteers running a refugee camp on a former golf course, he established an aid charity, the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, and now lives part-time in the capital of Port-au-Prince.

The organization now employs 300 people, runs community centers and clinics, and has United Nations and World Bank contracts. Mr. Penn also serves as an ambassador-at-large for Haiti’s president, Michel Martelly.

“At the beginning, we thought he was going to be like one of the celebrities who don’t spend the night,” said Maryse Kedar, who heads an education charity and has worked alongside the actor. “I can tell you that Sean surprised a lot of people here. Haiti became his second home.”