Madonna with her son David Banda at the 2014 Grammys. Photo: Getty
In a story posted to her Instagram account yesterday, American singer Madonna announced the launch of an art sale in which all proceeds would be donated to the victims of last week’s blasts in Lebanon. Hosted alongside her children, namely David Banda and Mercy James, the Queen of Pop showcased designs that seemed to be in support of the non-profit organization, Impact Lebanon.
Set up to make activism and volunteering accessible, relevant, and sustainable for the Lebanese diaspora, Impact Lebanon creates a risk-free and impact-focused environment that invites activists and volunteers to tap into their creative and entrepreneurial abilities in a bid to help Lebanon and its people. Following the blasts on August 4, the group started a fundraiser that has since passed 1 million euros and is currently in the process of being distributed out to the NGOs across the country.
Amongst the paintings showcased by Madonna was a floral display that read “E & S Love Chains,” as well as the sketch of a man with an ineligible word painted above his head. While abstract in form, the singer’s intentions were made clear in her series of stories which reinforced her desire to provide assistance and stand in solidarity with the people of Lebanon. By no means her first foray into activism and philanthropy, Madonna started her foundation, Ray of Light in 1998. Named after her seventh studio album, the foundation aims to protect vulnerable children, while fighting for equal rights and education for all of humanity. She also founded Raising Malawi in 2006, another nonprofit organization devoted to improving the lives of Malawi and its people.
Adding to her expansive portfolio of philanthropic work, her latest pursuit for Lebanon follows in the direction of other public figures such as Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and Bella Hadid, who are also calling on their fans and followers to stand in solidarity with the victims of Beirut. Having left more than 300,000 people homeless and caused billions of dollars worth of damage, the explosions of August 4 have been deemed not only the deadliest blast in the history of the country but also one of the deadliest non-nuclear explosions in the history of the world.
Read Next: How Residents of Dubai Can Donate to Lebanese Relief Missions
