WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 27: Singer Rihanna poses during her first public appearance at the Spotify House on March 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Rihanna was one of three people named “national heroes” by the Government of Barbados this week.
The 29-year-old Barbadian singer was recognized for her work on education with her Rihanna Cares Foundation.
“I am proud to live and work in a country that continues to encourage the dreams of each and every one of its youth, as Barbados is a progressive country full of active community leaders who are actively helping to find solutions to social issues such as crime and violence,” Rihanna said in a statement.
The star has become a leading advocate for education in the Caribbean island since setting up her charity to provide school supplies and assistance to communities in countries like Haiti and her native Barbados.
She has also donated over $2 million to organizations fighting sexual violence, as well as nearly $1 million to the Rape Treatment Center in Barbados.
The UN’S “Advancing Women’s Empowerment and Dignity” Global Action Plan, which was launched in Barbados on Wednesday, encourages people to join forces to improve the lives of women and girls around the world.
The three other people named national heroes include Bryan Kelly, the first of its kind to be named National Hero of the Community, and one of the pioneer Dr. Stanilaus Pagonis, who along with his son Dr. Carlis Pagonis, established a Maasai Health Unit, which has helped thousands of Maasai women survive the high incidence of Aids in the Maasai Mara, which is just south of Kenya.
A newborn child was also recognized, as Niogave Anik Antigua, the first baby girl born in the southern Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda.
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