Having spent a comfortable 30 years in the United States, Nicole Muller Cesar decided to move back to her native Haiti a decade ago.

She had been working as a social worker and therapist in Boston and remained a fixture in Haitian activist circles. But the low-level political instability in the late 1990s in Haiti -- and the children who suffered from it -- compelled her to move back and launch her own group to fight for abused and abandoned young people.

``I had heard so many stories about how the kids were mistreated in Haiti,'' Cesar, 59, said. ``I realized it was not acceptable for me to see these things and not be able to do something.''

UNSUNG LEADERS

Cesar, executive director of Institute for Human and Community Development, is among five unsung leaders in the Americas who will be recognized Saturday at a luncheon organized by Pan American Development Foundation for the innovative ways in which they help impoverished children, farm parcels of land, or blog about day-to-day life under communism.

The other ``Heroes of the Hemisphere'' are José Silvestre Sánchez, a Colombian farmer who helps harvest for Afro-Colombian families, Yoani Sánchez, a Cuban blogger whose writing captures life under Fidel and Raúl Castro, Andrea González, an activist and entrepreneur who helps organize Colombia's ``internally displaced people,'' and Juan Ayala Argueta, a Salvadoran teen who went from refugee to teacher and school builder.

ABOARD SHIP

All five will receive their moment in the sun Saturday as hemispheric leaders gather aboard the Royal Caribbean International's Liberty of the Seas cruise ship for the ``Heroes of the Hemisphere'' fundraiser.

The guest list includes Organization of American States Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, writer Carlos Alberto Montaner and Haiti's Tourism Minister Patrick Delatour. More than 350 people are expected to attend.

There will also be a silent and live auction to raise money for PADF's Haiti program; Miami artist Romero Britto will donate a specially made painting.

SOME CELEBRITIES

A few celebrities plan to attend, including Rainn Wilson, aka ``Dwight'' from The Office, Ron Duprat, a chef and contestant on Top Chef, and Jimmy Jean-Louis from Heroes.

``I think it should be a great event,'' said Jean-Louis, who plays ``The Haitian'' on Heroes and is PADF's goodwill ambassador for Haiti's children. ``To be able to represent Haiti is always such a great honor.''

Satcha Pretto Padilla of Univision will emcee.

For more information, visit heroesofthehemisphere.com.

Miami Herald Caribbean correspondent Jacqueline Charles contributed to this report.

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