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Inspiring Serena Williams builds schools in Jamaica, Uganda, Kenya, and Zimbabwe

Williams just helped build school buildings in Jamaica. What are her other philanthropic projects?

5 December 2019

While a lot of celebrities are already satisfied in handing out cash to charity organizations, tennis star Serena Williams is not afraid to do more. The former world no. 1 has been consistent in doing philanthropic efforts in the past few years.

Serena Williams builds schools in disadvantaged communities

In a recent video released online, Williams is seen helping out in the construction of a building in the Salt Marsh Elementary School. The video, shot in Trelawny Parish in Jamaica, shows the 38-year old tennis icon wearing a hardhat as she joins other construction workers in the construction of the building. In the clip, Williams is seen donning a white shirt that says “I Built a School with Serena!”

The Salt Marsh Elementary School is actually a beneficiary of Williams’ partnership with the nonprofit organization Helping Hands Jamaica. It is the third school that the sports legend has helped finish in the country. In fact, it is not her first time in the school as she already visited the site in 2016.

Apart from Jamaica, Williams also helps underprivileged areas in Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda construct school buildings. For these three countries, she works with Build Africa for the projects.

One of the most notable projects that the 23-time Grand Slam winner has undertaken in Kenya was the construction of a secondary school in Makueni County. After the school was finished, officials deemed it right to name it Serena Williams Secondary School in her honor. Among the amenities that were provided include teaching aids, computers, and electricity. Multinational corporation Hewlett-Packard helped her in providing tech for the school.

Williams’ philanthropy

Ever since she became a huge star, Williams has not been shy about her passion for philanthropy. Through the Serena Williams Fund, she sought to make sure that the schools that she helps build have a 40:60 ratio of boys to girls. She wanted to give more girls the chance to finish their education because they have a bigger chance of dropping out.

Serena also does charity work in America. Back in 2016, she helped inaugurate the Yetunde Price Resource Center in her hometown of Compton, California. A project with her sister Venus, the center was opened to lend support to the town’s residents who are affected by gun violence.

To help raise more funds for the center, Serena sold some of her and her daughter Olympia’s clothes. She utilizes her platform through Posh Closet for Charity, which enables her to sell everything within minutes of posting.

Williams also has Serena Ventures, which aims to boost financial capacities of startups. The firm primarily assists startups owned by women, people of color and young entrepreneurs.