Tennis star Roger Federer is giving back through his non-profit foundation in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. One of the less-reported side effects of the virus has to do with school closures – specifically, the lack of meals for students who may depend on school to get at least one square meal per day. It's this area that Federer has chosen to focus on under his foundation's purview of improving education in Africa and his native Switzerland.
A tweet from the official Roger Federer Foundation Twitter account announced the pledge, which comes to a cool million dollars:
"Covid-19 is a global health and economic crisis. As a humanitarian response, the Roger Federer Foundation has granted one million USD to provide nutritious meals for 64,000 vulnerable young children and their families through our partners in Africa while schools are closed."
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The Roger Federer Foundation was established in 2004 with the goal of "enable[ing] parents and local communities in providing these children with the opportunity for a good education," so even though this $1 million donation is more focused on providing food for kids it still links up with the organization's aims.
Efforts like Federer's will likely be necessary for the near future, since in many areas across the world schools are staying closed in order to slow the spread of the virus. Professional sports – like, for example, Federer's specialty – are also facing widespread cancellations and postponements.
