Nationwide — Singer-songwriter Rihanna reportedly pledged $1.2 million Barbadian dollars (or $700,000 USD) to purchase ventilators for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic in her home country of Barbados.Barbados, which recently has 17 confirmed cases of coronavirus, is also taking measures to assist its residents, including the $20 million survival stimulus package that aims to provide $600 per month for each household.
Meanwhile, Rihanna, through her Clara Lionel Foundation, has donated at least $5 million to different organizations in the United States, Carribean, and Africa that assists with coronavirus relief efforts.
“When we first began this year, never could we have imagined how (the coronavirus) would so dramatically alter our lives,” the foundation said.
“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, this pandemic will affect us all. And for the world’s most vulnerable, the worst may be yet to come.”
The funds will go towards food banks in underserved communities, protective equipment for frontline health workers, and to help speed up testing in areas like Malawi and Haiti.