OPRAH WINFREY PLEDGES $100,000 IN SUPPORT OF GIRLS EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

OPRAH Winfrey has said she will donate $100,000 in her Selma and The Butler co-star David Oyelowo’s honour to the GEANCO Foundation, which spe­cializes in providing vital healthcare and education needs to girls in Nigeria.

Oyelowo and Oscar-nominated Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) are both involved with the founda­tion and coincidentally both British actors of Nige­rian descent who have been friends since they were teen­agers.

Oyelowo told THR his concern in helping improve the sexism, health and edu­cation standards in Nigeria has partly been fueled from watching the lives touched by Oprah, an influential woman whom he now calls a mother figure.
The money from the Oprah Winfrey Foundation will transform two schools in Nigeria, sponsored by Ejiofor and Oyelowo, pro­viding children with the proper learning supplies (computers, books, note­books) and medicine.

A portion of the funds will also be distributed to organizations directly work­ing with the recovery of the rescued girls (who often come back traumatized and pregnant) from Boko Ha­ram.

“I, of course, like a lot of people, was disturbed by the kidnapping of the girls in Chibok and the fact that this awful situation was very much around the idea of wanting girls in particu­lar to not be educated,” said Oyelowo.

“I think that’s basically an attempt at not just ruining those girl’s future but Nige­ria’s future.”