Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have made a huge donation to the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) to thank fans for showing their generosity.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were inspired by the Sussex Squad, an online group who have shown their appreciation for the couple by making charitable donations to celebrate them on several occasions.
The latest iteration involved their fans donating to CAMFED in connection with Meghan's birthday last month. Fittingly, the campaign was dubbed the Inspired by Meghan Scholarship. It had raised nearly US$260,000 at the time of this writing. Donations made as part of the initiative will help young women with nursing, engineering and journalism training after they finish school.
Harry and Meghan gave the organization, with which they've worked extensively through The Queen's Commonwealth Trust, US$130,000. And even more appropriately, the donation was made on Harry's birthday!
"No better way to celebrate what really matters," they said in a quick statement through CAMFED. "Thank you to everyone who donated."
Angie and Harry looked thrilled to see each other when he visited CAMFED at a school in Malawi last year. Photo: © Dominic Lipinski/Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage
Angie Murimirwa, CAMFED's Executive Director for Africa, said in a video that the funds raised will not only go to helping CAMFED assist young women and girls who cannot afford to go to school, but will also help the CAMFED Association of Women Leaders.
The group provides support to women and girls when they leave school and addresses social inequalities, poverty, lack of job opportunities and the continued risk of early marriage – all barriers women face in furthering their education and securing jobs. It provides them with training and network of other women and girls to rely on to make their dreams reality.
"As engineers, bricklayers, climate-smart farmers, vets and nurses, my sisters will be even more powerful role models in their communities, working together to change the status of women, showing what an education can achieve, and using their profits to send more girls through school," Angie said in the clip.
This isn't the first time CAMFED has been supported by the Sussex Squad on Meghan and Harry's behalf. In 2019, the fan group held its Global Sussex Baby Shower campaign, in which they donated to organizations and causes close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's hearts, such as CAMFED.
Meghan appeared by video link during Harry's meeting with CAMFED leaders in Malawi as part of the Sussexes' tour of Southern Africa last year. Photo: © Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage
Around this time last year, Harry visited CAMFED at a school in Malawi while he was there as part of the Sussexes' tour of southern Africa. Meghan joined a meeting with Harry and CAMFED in Lilongwe via Skype to hear about the work they were doing in the Malawian capital.
Angie and Meghan also appeared on a panel as part of International Women's Day for The Queen's Commonwealth Trust in 2019. They joined singer/songwriter Annie Lennox, model Adwoa Aboah, former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Chrisann Jarrett of We Belong, a charity run by and for young migrants in the U.K. The discussion was chaired by Anne McElvoy of The Economist. You can watch it below:
In their work with The Queen's Commonwealth Trust, Harry and Meghan helped launch CAMFED's CAMA Fund to expand access to education for girls and young women in countries such as Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi. Girls and young women are supported in their secondary school education through UKAid bursaries via CAMFED.
CAMFED has sent 3.3 million girls to school across sub-Saharan Africa in 25 years, the organization says.
Happy Birthday to Harry and belated Happy Birthday to Meghan, and congratulations to the Sussex Squad for such a successful, generous campaign!
