R&B singer Rihanna is making headlines again for her efforts to donate to schools in need. The Grammy-award winner teamed up with Twitter Founder, Jack Dorsey, to donate 4,000 tablets to schools in the Caribbean island of Barbados. These donations were made to close the “digital divide” with schools closed due to the coronavirus.
On June 7, Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, revealed that Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation and Dorsey’s Start Small Foundation, came together to supply these 4,000 tablets to schools across the island.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and universities around the world have been shut down to combat the virus. Students were forced to transition to working from home. However, not every student has internet access. According to UNICEF, over half a million children across the Caribbean have seen their education interrupted due to COVID-19.
“We all know that education is the most important gift that we can give any child and to the extent that we can ensure that there is no digital divide among all of our students, that is our duty,” Mottley said in the video. “Of course, our government will continue to make sure that we get there.”
Since the battle with COVID-19 has begun, Rihanna has donated over $11 million to racial justice causes and $5 million to various organizations helping with relief efforts in America, the Caribbean, and Africa.
“I want to thank our own Ambassador Fenty and her Clara Lionel Foundation as well as the Jack Dorsey Start Small Foundation for coming together and donating 4,000 tablets to Barbadian school children,” Mottley stated in a video posted to her Instagram profile.
In March, Governor Cuomo also recognized the work of Rihanna after she donated personal protective equipment to the state of NY when it was in very high demand.
