On Thursday, the pop icon announced that her philanthropic foundation, Raising Malawi, will build four new schools in the southeast African country, where the organization has already built 10 schools.

“Let’s start 2018 off right!” Madonna, 59, captioned an Instagram post. “I’m challenging you all to stand up, come together and BE the CHANGE you want to SEE in the World!! This year we’ll begin by building 4 brand new schools in the Kasungu District of #Malawi with @RaisingMalawi and @buildOn!! That’s 14 schools in total that will help thousands of kids get the education they so rightfully deserve!”

Let’s start 2018 off right! ! I’m challenging you all to stand up, come together and BE the CHANGE you want to SEE in the World! ! This year we’ll begin by building 4 brand new schools in the Kasungu District of #Malawi . with @RaisingMalawi and @buildOn!! That’s 14 schools in total that will help thousands of kids get the education they so rightfully deserve! Now is the time! Join the #revolutionoflove! #RaisingMalawi #knowlege #power #education children #life #love

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on Jan 3, 2018 at 9:35pm PST

Madonna has a long history with the nation, as she adopted four of her six children from Malawi: David Banda, 12, Mercy James, 11, and 6-year-old twins Stella and Estere, whom she brought home last February. (The Grammy winner is also mom to Lourdes Leon, 21, and Rocco Ritchie, 17.)

The “Living for Love” singer’s relationship with the African country began in 2006, when she launched Raising Malawi. And this summer, all of Madonna’s efforts culminated in the charity’s biggest undertaking yet. In July, the pop star asked PEOPLE to join her and her family in Malawi for the opening of the Mercy James Centre for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, the first children’s hospital in the nation.

“I’m here to save lives,” she previously told PEOPLE of her work in Malawi, which in 2017 Global Financial Magazine ranked as the sixth-poorest country in the world. “I don’t want to be the outsider that comes in. I want to help them help themselves.”

Charity advisor Trevor Neilson — who has helped manage the philanthropic efforts of everyone from Bill Gates and Bill Clinton to Bono — has worked with Madonna for six years.

“A lot of people thought she might lessen her involvement,” he previously told PEOPLE, “but instead she has dramatically increased it and has now — with the completion of the pediatric surgery unit — done something that no one has ever done before in Malawi or, really, anywhere in Africa … She is engaged on a daily basis in a way that people who just write checks are not. She is tough, smart and extremely committed to this country.”

This article originally appeared on People.

The post Madonna Pledges to Build 4 New Schools in Africa in 2018 appeared first on Positive Celebrity News, Good Celebrity Gossip, Positive Entertainment News | Good Celebrity.

A week ago, the international pop star met with French President Emmanuel Macron to talk about education for underprivileged children and now the singer’s Clara Lionel Foundation has announced a funding partnership with the world’s leading bike-sharing platform to do just that.

The “1 KM Action” is a five-year partnership with ofo which will provide funding to CLF’s Global Scholarship Program for girls in Malawi and bikes for the students to relieve the transportation challenges, which is a factor in the high dropout rates of kids in the African country.

“I’m so happy about the Clara Lionel Foundation’s new partnership with ofo because it will help so many young people around the world receive a quality education, and also help the young girls of Malawi get to school safely, cutting down those very long walks they make to and from school all alone,” Rihanna said in a press release.

There are 4.6 million students in primary school in Malawi but only 8% complete secondary school, with girls specifically impacted. Ofo’s involvement is a game-changer in the effort to turn those numbers around.

“We are delighted to work with Rihanna and the Clara Lionel Foundation on this innovative initiative as we are keen to help improve education accessibility for students living in poverty,” said ofo founder and CEO Dai Wei in a press release. “We believe in unlocking every corner in the world with equal access to education as well as with our bike-sharing scheme.”

Rihanna was inspired to make a change after she visited Malawi in January 2017 as part of her role as Ambassador for the Global Partnership for Education with Global Citizen. Her journey was captured on film in a short documentary.

The collaboration between CLF and ofo extends beyond Malawi as the company carried out “1 KM Action” to support scholarships for students in China, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica and Rihanna’s native country of Barbados.

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