There is a special sort of disdain reserved for celebrities’ charitable activities. Often scorned as vanity projects, long on intentions and PR and short on delivery, foundations are widely regarded as a phase in the VIP life cycle, coming somewhere after lifestyle product but before the children’s book. For all the organizations that become powerhouses—Sean Penn’s CORE and Bono’s ONE are well respected in their areas—just as many fail to thrive. The web address for Kanye West’s charity for arts education, Donda’s House, for example, now links to a Thai gambling site.
There are several reasons people might have suspected that Patricia Velásquez’s organization, Wayuu Taya, would be a wan effort. Velásquez was a very successful model back when supermodels were a thing, and has had a decent acting career since then, most notable for roles in franchise, but few people have the indelible charisma of Bono or the flair for showmanship of Elton
