Global Citizen, a social action platform aimed at tackling worldwide issues like poverty, health, and education, announced that French Montana, the Moroccan-born, Bronx-based rapper of “Unforgettable,” is the organization’s first rap ambassador for universal healthcare and education.
During last week’s pre-Grammys festivities, Global Citizen and Tidal, the streaming service owned by rap mogul Jay-Z, threw their own celebration where French Montana announced his partnership with the organization. French credits his 2017 trip to Uganda to film the “Unforgettable” video with Rae Sremmurd’s Swae Lee opened his eyes to the plight of extreme poverty abroad.
“My life changed forever after my trip to Uganda,” he said, “And I am excited to continue engaging my fans to use their voices to advocate for universal health coverage and education for those living in extreme poverty.” Through his partnership with Global Citizen, the Jungle Rules rapper helped to fund MAMA HOPE, an organization advocating for global entrepreneurship to help end extreme poverty, by providing maternal health care to a community of 300,000 people in rural Budondo, Uganda. According to a press release from Global Citizen, the funding went toward a prenatal care clinic, staff housing, a birth house, the first floor of the main hospital, and the purchase of a new ambulance.
French and Global Citizen plan to continue pressuring various African governments — including his own native Morocco — to increase spending for both education and healthcare, pursuing availability and access of both for all communities regardless of income. Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, broke down the stats in the same press release and vowed that the partnership between the organization and the rapper would do everything they could to turn them around.
“1 in 5 children in Africa lack access to basic, life-saving vaccines and the associated deaths are unacceptable,” Evans wrote. “Affordable, effective interventions like vaccines have proven track records, immediate impacts, and keep our world safer. Yet globally, 400 million people lack access to basic health services and 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty trying to pay for healthcare. We are so happy to be partnering with French Montana, who embodies the true meaning of being a Global Citizen and are grateful for his commitment to using his platform to lift up those in most need. Together with French in 2018, we will call on governments to take concrete steps towards realizing Universal Health Coverage for their people.”
