Moroccan-American rapper French Montana has donated 500 canoes to the Makoko stilt community in Nigeria after shooting his Wish You Well music video in the area. Montana and his team were moved by the energetic culture of the community.
The donation, which was supported by media company gamma and management SALXCO, was announced in a press release, which highlighted that the community of 200,000 people is at risk of flooding and suffers from a lack of proper sanitation systems.
Montana, whose real name is Karim Kharbouch, also made reference to the area in the song, having been drawn to its energetic culture and resilience in the face of climate change.
The canoes will be essential tools for the community to transport people and goods, and add to Montana’s charitable efforts in Africa, which include $100,000 donation to the Mama Hope Foundation in Uganda, a project aimed at improving healthcare.
Montana was also the first rapper to become Global Citizen’s rap ambassador. Speaking about his donation, he said: “As an immigrant from Morocco, giving back to communities in Africa, the place that raised me is so important. When I was filming, I met local leaders who talked about the daily struggles and aspirations of the wider community. I was moved by their spirit and positivity, which inspired me to get involved and to help impact change.”
