Rihanna Is on a Mission to Make the World a Better Place, and Everyone Needs to Follow Suit

In 2018, Rihanna was appointed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of her native Barbados. According to a statement from the country's government office, the unique position gives the singer "specific responsibility for promoting education, tourism and investment for the island."

"Rihanna has a deep love for this country, and this is reflected in her philanthropy, especially in the areas of health and education," Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said in a statement. "She also shows her patriotism in the way she gives back to this country and continues to treasure the island as her home. She has also demonstrated, beyond her success as a pop icon, significant creative acumen and shrewdness in business. It is therefore fitting that we engage and empower her to play a more definitive role as we work to transform Barbados."

The new title was presented to Rihanna a decade after the Caribbean island named her a cultural ambassador for Barbados and two years after she joined Prince Harry at a Man Aware event held by the Barbados National HIV/AIDS Commission, where they each got a blood test.

Rihanna became the Global Partnership For Education's first ambassador in 2016. The aim of the organization is to "ensure that girls and boys in the world's poorest countries can get a quality education," and in Rihanna's role, she "encourages world leaders and policymakers to boost their support for global education." In 2018, Rihanna attended the GPE Financing Conference, where she vowed to continue to fight to ensure all children have access to a good education.

"I feel strongly that all children everywhere should be afforded the opportunity of a quality education," she said in her speech. "Therefore I'm proud to announce Clara Lionel Foundation's partnership with education advocacy leaders like the Global Partnership for Education and Global Citizen. Working together, I know we can amplify our efforts and ensure that millions of children gain access to education globally."

The 31-year-old is a global ambassador for the Global Citizen project, which is a "movement of engaged citizens who are using their collective voice to end extreme poverty in 2030." In 2017, Rihanna spent a week in Malawi as part of an educational trip. The singer met with students, teachers, government officials, and mentors to better educate herself on the issues and challenges surrounding education in the country.

Rihanna launched her own charity in 2012, which is named after her grandparents Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. The nonprofit organization benefits impoverished countries around the world with health care and education. In 2017, Harvard University honored Rihanna with its humanitarian of the year award for all her outstanding philanthropic efforts. Through her foundation, Rihanna has created a scholarship program for students attending college in the US from Caribbean countries and has given over 60 developing countries access to education. She also hosts her star-studded Diamond Ball every year on behalf of the foundation.