Olivia Wilde's Gift to Slum Kids in Haiti

Published
Condé Nast Traveler

Despite her busy slate of movie and TV projects, Hollywood glamour girl Olivia Wilde is making her mark in the world of philanthropy as well, with one of her latest efforts focused on providing free education to poor children in Haiti.

Olivia is featured in Condé Nast Traveler's annual Visionariesissue -- on newsstands August 21 -- which showcases her charity work in the impoverished Caribbean nation. The issue celebrates individuals who shape the world they travel in by inspiring others to leave something positive in their wake.

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After visiting Haiti and getting advice on charity activities from billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, Olivia eventually became co-founder of the Academy for Peace and Justice, the country's first-ever free secondary school, which was constructed in just two months.

Olivia tells the magazine that although she was astounded by the country's deep level of poverty when she visited the country's largest slum in Port-au-Prince, she was still able to look past the despair. "Cité Soleil in 2009 -- I had never seen poverty like that. But Haiti is also so beautiful -- it's important to remember that it's not just about tragedy."