Black Celebrity Philanthropists Who Support Africa
Akon
When he’s not making hits, Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer and businessman, Akon works as a philanthropist.
He started the Konfidence Foundation, a nonprofit organization, dedicated to increasing public awareness of the conditions in Africa and providing underprivileged youth with access to learning and recreational environments equipped with modern technology, educational materials, recreational resources, and health and wellness services. According to their website, the Foundation’s concentrated efforts in Senegal—Akon’s home country—will one day serve as the international platform to empower individuals, communities, and nations with the tools needed to build the Africa of tomorrow.
A portion of the sales from his 2010 single ‘Oh Africa’ went towards helping underprivileged African youth, including Akon’s own ‘Konfidence Foundation’. The single was a collaboration between Akon, Grammy-nominated singer Keri Hilson, the South African Soweto Gospel Choir and 16 aspiring musicians from around the world including China, Turkey and Tanzania.
