​Rihanna Helps Raise $2.3 Billion For Education Across The Globe

Rihanna's been a busy lass lately, having helped raise a whopping $2.3 billion (£1.6 billion) for education in under-served countries.

As ambassador for the Global Partnership for Education, the Barbados-born singer gave a speech at the partnership's inaugural Financing Conference in Dakar, Senegal. Thanking those who have pledged and donating, Rihanna also took the opportunity to explain why the battle is far but won.

"We've made tremendous progress today, but of course, our work is never done," she said. "We have a long way to go. This is a fight we're never gonna stop fighting until every boy and every girl has access to education."

WATCH RIHANNA TEACH ALAN CARR TO DANCE:

Founded in 2002, the multi-stakeholder partnership and funding platform is the 'only global fund solely dedicated to education in developing countries', aiming to 'strength education systems in developing countries in order to dramatically increase the number of children who are in school and learning' the GPE website states.

Rihanna was named GPE's first ever global ambassador back in 2016, teaming up to ensure that children in the world's poorest countries can still get the quality education they deserve.

It's by no means the first time Rihanna's been involved in some pretty sterling charitable work - having set up the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012, in honour of her grandparents, Clara and Lionel Braithwaite.

PA

"The lack of access to education for children around the world is a massive problem, but that doesn't mean we should just throw up our hands in despair and surrender," Rihanna said on the foundation's website.

In February last year she even earned herself Harvard's Humanitarian of the Year accolade, surprising the audience with a funny and moving speech.

"We're all human," she said when accepting her Harvard award. "We all just want a chance, a chance at life, a chance at an education, a chance at a future, really. At CLF [Clara Lionel Foundation], our mission is to impact as many lives as possible, but it starts with just one. Just one.

"As I stare out into this beautiful room, I see optimism, I see hope, I see the future. I know that each and every one of you has the opportunity to help someone else. All you need to do is help one person, expecting nothing in return. To me, that is a humanitarian."

Topics: Celebrity, Charity, Rihanna

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

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