Meet The Celebs Who Help Africa

Whether they do it to boost their image or truly help others, numerous celebrities have used their image and clout to help make a change for people who need it.

Her recent fallout with the Malawian government left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths, but pop star Madonna is still committed to the country. Her work with Malawi started in 2006, when she founded Raising Malawi. This foundation aims to provide schooling, food, shelter and other help to children of the country. Through it Madonna has been supporting numerous groups to help supply the needs of impoverished kids. She also paid to build several classrooms and is the patron of at least one hospital.

Some say the former U.S. President is so focused on Africa because of disastrous decisions during his two terms - not the least being unable to prevent the Rwandan Genocide. But whatever the reason, Bill Clinton is extremely dedicated to the future wellbeing of the continent. Through both his own work and that of his foundation, Clinton has been helping establish sustainable agriculture, such as soybean farming in Sudan, and family management to reduce infant mortalities. He has also been instrumental in the quest to develop a malaria vaccine and prevent deaths due to the parasite.

The star of such films as Saw and Lethal Weapon has always been a big activist, as far back as his college years. Danny Glover has been arrested for protesting at the Sudanese embassy. He is also a big supporter of labour movements and recently marched with unions in South Africa. Using his status, he has launched a series of wines with South Africa’s KWV, the profits headed for charitable causes. Glover is also a very active member of the TransAfrica Forum, which promotes African interests across the world.

The famous actress has done charitable work across the globe and Africa does not escape her attention. Angelina Jolie was in the Eastern part of the continent recently as a special envoy of the U.N.’s refugee agency. Her main priority is to stop the use of rape as a weapon of war and she is pushing developed countries, particularly the G8, to sign agreements that would make such actions crimes against humanity. Jolie is also pressuring governments to actively prosecute people who use rape in war situations. Apart from that she is the founder of numerous foundations which promote the rights of refugees and work towards clean water in poor areas.

Surprised? The notorious pop singer is also one of the most active philanthropists in entertainment. Lady Gaga has used her fame to push numerous causes across the world - several in Africa. She is a major supporter of the I’m Gonna Be Your Friend campaign, which helps starving children in East Africa. Gaga also has a series of headphones with RED, which contributes the profits to AIDS projects in Africa and she recently donated 40 percent of her South African ticket earnings, as well as $500,000, to anti-starvation charities working on the continent.

The U2 frontman has attracted a lot of criticism for his continuous efforts to better the plight of Africans. Not all of it is undeserved - Bono can be a bit of a blowhard - but it is unfair to say he is not making a difference. Bono’s quest started in the late Eighties, when after performing at the Band Aid charity concert, he and his wife went to famine-ravished Ethiopia for several weeks to help out there. He eventually launched DATA, which later became ONE, and later created the RED brand. Collectively these have been used to fight AIDS by making drugs to fight the disease a lot cheaper, as well as initiatives to provide better education, develop and distribute vaccines, as well as fight malaria. Bono has also been key to governments scrapping some of the debts of Africa’s poorest nations.

Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour is one of the most famous musicians to ever come out of Africa. He is also one of the most prolific African celebrities when it comes to charity. N’Dour is a longtime UNICEF goodwill ambassador - over 20 years - and has been the figurehead for countless projects aimed at improving the lives of the very poor. He has released numerous charity albums and staged even more concerts - including one to fund the training of African healthcare workers and another for the Senegalese flood victims. N’Dour also has a micro-financing company to help the poorest get access to funds and he launched a foundation that supports numerous health and education projects across the continent.

The queen of talk and most powerful person in media has her hands in many charitable projects. But South Africa lies particularly close to Oprah Winfrey’s heart, which is why she created the Leadership Academy For Girls. This school gives girls from very poor backgrounds a chance to shine, schooling them towards future careers. Since it opened in 2007, the academy has already seen numerous successful graduates - in fact, a 100 percent pass rate - many who are destined to make a big impact on the world. Winfrey has also contributed millions of dollars towards AIDS research and education.

The son of a famous newsman, actor George Clooney has always been close to important issues. He specifically aims his celebrity and wealth towards the atrocities in Sudan, where the government has systematically been purging native tribes to such a degree that several Sudanese officials, including the president, are wanted for crimes against humanity. Clooney often sneaks into Sudan to get footage of the genocide there, in turn using this to lobby powerful nations into action. He also funds a satellite surveillance programme that monitors militant movement in the area and warns villagers of impending attacks.

Source :Howzit.msn.com