The Weeknd Donates $50,000 To The University of Toronto For Ethiopic Studies Program

The Weeknd is definitely giving back to his community in a major way.

Recently the Grammy Award winning singer donated a total of $50,000 to the University of Toronto to help support their Ethiopic Studies program.

According to the Toronto Star, The Weeknd whose parents migrated from Ethiopia answered the Bikila Award organization immediately when they reached out for help to fund their program.

The organization awarded him back in 2014 with the Professional Excellence Award, but they never imagined he would become the huge star that he is today.

Tam Gebeyehu, a board member from the organization said, “It’s unbelievable. He grew up in Toronto as an Ethiopian-Canadian, and now he’s giving back to the community.”

The donation came about when Professor Michael Gervers from the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies promised to donate $50,000 of his money, if the university and the Ethiopian community could match it.

So far over $170,000 has been raised for a course focused on Ge’ez, which is an ancient Ethiopian script and language, which is expected to launch within the next year.

Tessema Mulugeta, president of the Bikila Award organization said, “This initiative is a rare opportunity and of historical significance in the discovery of Ethiopia’s ancient civilizations, for the preservation of our rich culture, history and traditions.”

Shoutouts to The Weeknd for giving back in a major way!

Source: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/08/06/the-weeknd-donates-50000-to-the-university-of-toronto-to-kick-start-an-ethiopic-studies-program.html

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