Zendaya only needs one name for you to know who she is. The former Disney Channel star began her career as a child model and backup dancer before emerging as a promising music artist and actress. She is also involved in the fashion world. Born Zendaya Maree Sotermer Coleman, the California native has already accomplished a lot in her 21 years of life.
While Zendaya has excelled in the entertainment world, she also is a standout with her work as a humanitarian.
Every year, Zendaya dedicates her birthday to a charitable cause and in 2017 she created a fundraiser for iKAGENG, a community-based organization that cares for orphaned and vulnerable children around the area of Soweto. Her crowdfunding campaign topped $40,000.
“I really wanted to do something important for my birthday. For me at least, it wasn’t really a priority that I get anything for my birthday. I have everything that I need and everything that I want. So I definitely wanted to do something that I felt was a little more important. I also always think that it’s important to use your status or star power in the best way possible. I think that there’s a reason why you influence so many people, and for me, I think that it’s to make important causes be known and try to use whatever I can to help that.,” Zendaya said in an interview with WhoSay.com.
“I was already in contact with [humanitarian organization] Convoy of Hope, and I was brainstorming with my mom, and we came up with the idea to work with Convoy of Hope and FeedOne, which is a charity that they work with as well, to do this whole project and do something that was actually really special. I’m really excited about it.”
Other charities and foundations that Zendaya has supported are the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, Communities in Schools, Convoy of Hope, DonorsChoose.org, PETA, and UNICEF.
Zendaya has an incredible platform to share her positive messages and music to the world, with more than 6.8 million followers on Facebook, nearly 5 million followers on Twitter, and more than 4 million followers on Instagram.
Zendaya previously sat down with our friends at Campus Sports to discuss her passion for the Golden State Warriors, her mom’s collegiate basketball career at Santa Clara, and she provided advice to young kids who want to reach their goals.
Be sure to follow Zendaya on Twitter and Instagram and follow along with her charity work at Crowd Rise.
