SEATTLE — Cuban-American superstar Camila Cabello’s partnership with Save the Children has led to a benefit concert this fall for Hurricane Maria victims. Some may know Cabello as the singer of the hit single “Havana”, which was number one on the charts in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Hungary and the United States. Due to the popularity of her songs “Havana” and “Never Be the Same”, Cabello became the first artist to top the Mainstream Top 40 and Adult Top 40 airplay charts with the first two singles from a debut studio album.
This is just one of the reasons why it is so exciting for Camila Cabello to be making her solo debut on October 23 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, her first stop on the “Never Be the Same” headline tour. A portion of the proceeds from this concert will be donated to Save the Children’s Hurricane Maria Relief Fund.
The Devastation of Hurricane Maria Illustrates the Importance of Camila Cabello’s Partnership with Save the Children
Hurricane Maria was a Category 4 storm that hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, crashing its way through the island. By April 4, 2018, 96 percent of residents had electricity service restored; however, this left about 62,000 people still in the dark seven months after the hurricane.
Though only 64 people were found dead in Puerto Rico, a Harvard University study predicts that this number could increase to nearly 4,600 people if one factors in the post-storm recovery complications. Authorities in Puerto Rico claimed about $94 billion in damages had occurred, though Congress only agreed to give $5 billion in an attempt to stay within the budget for federal aid. This aid gap has resulted in a critical need for funding from charities, NGOs and other organizations to help Puerto Rico complete its recovery efforts.
How Is Save the Children Helping?
This global humanitarian organization is currently working to provide emotional support and education access to children and families across Puerto Rico who were affected by Hurricane Maria. With the proceeds from the upcoming event, the charity can continue its efforts to reverse the negative effects that Hurricane Maria had on Puerto Rico.
However, Camila Cabello’s partnership with Save the Children is not the only celebrity partnership the organizations has formed. A few of the other celebrities who have gotten involved are Kanye West, Malala Yousafzai and Stephen Colbert. These celebrities are just a few examples of people who have donated their time and money to alleviate worldwide poverty and devastation.
Of the money that is donated to the organization, 86 percent goes directly toward program services. Donors’ money contributes to the organization’s multi-faceted efforts, which include improving health and nutrition services, education, emergency aid, HIV/AIDS prevention, hunger prevention and child protection services. Save the Children has had a massive global impact; in 2017 alone, it reached 155 million children globally.
The next time “Havana” is on the radio, one may be reminded of the people living in poverty who cannot afford the simple luxuries of jamming to a fun beat while driving down the street. It is the duty of everyone to help those who have been less fortunate gain ground and restore their living conditions to where they were before a natural disaster ripped their lives as they knew them apart.
– Raven Patzke
Photo: Google