Rihanna has pledged $5 million to relief efforts related to the coronavirus pandemic, with $700,000 going toward the purchase of ventilators for her home country of Barbados.
TMZ reports that Rihanna is making the donation through her Clara Lionel Foundation. The money will also be used to support local food banks, provide testing in impoverished countries like Haiti and Malawi, and purchase medical equipment for doctors and nurses on the frontlines.
âNever has it been more important or urgent to protect and prepare marginalized and underserved communities â those who will be hit hardest by this pandemic,â Clara Lionel Foundation Executive Director Justine Lucas told TMZ.
In 2018, Barbados appointed Rihanna as an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, a role which involves promoting education, tourism, and investment in the country.
#BREAKING – Barbados PM Mia Mottley announces that Barbadian songstress @rihanna has offered to purchase ventilators worth a total BB$1.4 million (US$700,000) for Barbados as it tackles the coronavirus pandemic pic.twitter.com/0gjOdsPEYF
— Kevz Politics (@KevzPolitics) March 21, 2020
Rihanna Announces $5 Million Donation to Coronavirus Relief
Alex Young