Petra Nemcova Named Haiti Goodwill Ambassador

President Martelly and Petra Nemcova (Photo: OP)

Caribbean Journal – June 11, 2012 — Model Petra Nemcova has been named Haiti’s latest Goodwill Ambassador by President Michel Martelly, following a ceremony in Port-au-Prince.

Nemcova received the title at a meeting with Martelly on Friday, where she was joined by actor Sean Penn.

Penn himself was appointed as Haiti’s “Ambassador-at-Large” by Martelly earlier this year, joining Martelly at several meetings, including the ALBA summit in Caracas in February.

The two titles are effectively the same, according to the office of the National Palace.

Sean Penn, President Michel Martelly, Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and Petra Nemcova

Penn’s J/P Haitian Relief Organization, which launched soon after the January 2010 Earthquake, has helped rebuild and revitalize the Haitian town of Delmas 32, which was ravaged by the quake.

Martelly has called Penn a “great friend of Haiti.”

Nemcova is the founder and director of the Happy Hearts Fund, which has undertaken several projects in Haiti, the latest being a new kindergarten facility in Zoranje. Penn led a Haiti-themed fundraiser for the country at the Cannes Film Festival last month, where he was also joined by Nemcova.

She was also joined by sister Olga Nemcova at the ceremony.