Rihanna is the author of a new op-ed for The Guardian, which advocates for the advancement of worldwide education support initiatives. The singer discusses her upbringing in Barbados as part of her inspiration for becoming involved with education advocacy. “Growing up in Barbados, I did not always love school. It can feel like a grind, especially when you’d rather be singing, playing sports or doing pretty much anything other than homework,” Rihanna wrote. “I realise now that I often took it for granted that I was even able to go to school. Education can be stolen from you in a second.”
Rihanna also discussed her visit to Malawi last year as an ambassador for the Global Partnership for Education, and her visit to Senegal for the GPE’s financing conference.
“We are grateful for the generous contributions of those such as the EU and France, and countries that doubled their contributions such as Canada and Ireland,” she wrote. “I look forward to seeing additional contributions from countries I know can step up even more, such as Germany and Japan, and seeing those that didn’t contribute – the Netherlands, Finland and New Zealand add their support to help us reach our target.”
Rihanna also detailed her progress with her own philanthropic organization, the Clara Lionel Foundation, which provides financial support for education to children in underserved countries.
“Imagine a world where millions of children, previously left to fend for themselves, are given the chance to learn,” Rihanna concluded. “When it comes to helping the world’s poorest children, as well as the communities and societies in which they live, I’m still learning – and I need others to join me on the journey and use their voices alongside mine.”
Read the full essay at The Guardian‘s website.
