Lil Jon built the first of two schools after attending a Pencils of Promise gala last year. (Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for Pencils of Promise)
Lil Jon is known for his hit upbeat songs but this selfless act is just as noteworthy. The rapper opened a school in Ghana Thursday in honor of his late mother. Dedicated to Carrie M. Smith, who passed away in 2013, Jon opened Abomayaw D.A. Kindergarten with help from the non-profit Pencils of Promise.
“Yesterday was a special day for me and my family,” the rapper wrote on Instagram on Friday, Oct. 13. “We had a ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedication of a brand new primary school in Ghana I funded along with [Pencils of Promise]. I dedicated it to the Abomayaw community and to my mother. God is good.”
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Pencils of Promise provides a unique way for people to raise funds to provide education for children around the globe. Fundraisers can organize a campaign by receiving donations on their birthday in lieu of presents, which is what Lil Jon did. Since January, he’s raised more than $53,000 to build a school. He’s hoping to raise $70,000 to build a second one.
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The newly opened building will allow young pupils to continue learning regardless of poor weather conditions. According to Ghana’s StarrFM Online, kindergarten students used to study under a tree and in sheds, which meant once it rained, they had to go home.
“This is the first project we’ve done together of this kind,” said Lil Jon, who was joined by his wife Nicole Smith and his son Nathan Smith at the dedication, to the website. “And it is amazing to see the community come out to support and the appreciation they are showing for us building the school. … I just feel like I’m lost for words of how amazing it feels to give the community something like this school.”
