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Rihanna has reportedly offered $5 million to help impoverished countries affected by the coronavirus, with $700,000 worth of ventilators also going to her home country of Barbados.
That’s according to TMZ, which reports that RiRi is making the donation through her Clara Lionel Foundation. The money will also be used to support local food banks, purchase medical equipment for doctors and nurses on the frontlines, and provide testing in poor nations such as Haiti and Malawi.
Part of the singer’s $5 million donation will support buying more ventilators for Barbados, where two new cases of Covid-19 were reported this week, taking the island’s total to six.
According to Kevz Politics, the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has announced that the pop star has offered $1.4 million Barbados dollars for the purchase of ventilators.
#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 has a long history of ambassadorial work in her home country. Back in 2018, she was made ‘Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary’, a role which involves promoting education, tourism and investment. It follows a host of earlier ambassadorial roles for Barbados that Rihanna had held, including one for culture in 2008.
Barbados also a street on the island after Rihanna in 2017. Westbury New Road, the street Rihanna grew up on and lived on until she was 16, is now called Rihanna Drive.
The singer recently gave an update on her long-awaited ninth album, affectionately known as ‘R9’ by fans.
“I like to antagonise my fans a little bit,” she said. “Well, they antagonise me, too! So they get it right back.”
The coronavirus pandemic continues to affect countries worldwide. On Friday (March 20), UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told pubs, restaurants and bars to close as the coronavirus crisis continues.
Keep up to date with every cancelled gig, festival and tour due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak here.
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