Rihanna Asks Global Leaders on Twitter to Commit to #FundEducation

When many people think of pop superstar Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty), they might only think of her many hit singles and platinum records. But as it turns out, the artist is also extremely passionate about education and the arts for children.

Recently, Rihanna took to her Twitter account (@rihanna) to bring an increase in attention to global education, tweeting leaders around the globe, asking for their commitment to learning initiatives and to #FundEducation.

Naturally, with over 74 million Twitter followers, Rihanna’s effort did not go unnoticed.

As a known philanthropist, Rihanna became the first ambassador to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) last September. In this role, she “encourages world leaders and policymakers to boost their support for global education and education in emergencies,” according to the website.

“As one of the greatest artists of our generation, Rihanna will amplify this essential work to bring about real change,” GPE said in a statement.

Refinery29 reported that she asked world leaders, including Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron, “What’s your plan?” in regard to education in their respective countries.

Rihanna tweeted to Prime Minister Trudeau, “🇨🇦 @JustinTrudeau I know you had our backs during the #GlobalCitizen Festival, will you re-commit Canada to #FundEducation?”

Then she tweeted at President Macron, “🇫🇷 bonjour @EmmanuelMacron, will France commit to #FundEducation?”

Rihanna even managed to reach out to Steffen Seibert, the current head of the German governmental press and information agency, with the tweet, “Germany, I’m checking in to see where we are on the commitment to #FundEducation w/ @GPforEducation? @regsprecher, I’m depending on you!😊 🇩🇪”

According to the Global Partnership for Education website, through a multi-year partnership, Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, international advocacy group Global Citizen, and GPE will campaign together to ensure that girls and boys in the world’s poorest countries can get a quality education.

“I feel strongly that all children everywhere should be afforded the opportunity of a quality education. Therefore I’m proud to announce Clara Lionel Foundation’s partnership with education advocacy leaders like the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen,” Rihanna announced.

“Working together, I know we can amplify our efforts and ensure that millions of children gain access to education globally.”

Earlier this year, Rihanna also received the Harvard Foundation’s award for Humanitarian of the Year. Clearly, she has not stopped helping students around the world to obtain access to education.

#EdTech