It's Prince Harry's birthday but he's the one giving the gifts! The Duke of Sussex, along with his wife, Meghan Markle, reportedly donated $130,000 to a charity helping out African girls' education.
The group, CAMFED, revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan matched the money their fans raised in a campaign called #InspiredbyHarry and #InspiredbyMeghan. The Sussex Squad launched this campaign on July 25 to give money to organizations supported by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
On Meghan's birthday, the Sussex Squad initially raised $69,700 and then extended the campaign for Harry's birthday. By Sept. 15, the Duke of Sussex's special day, the fundraising campaign reached almost $129,000.
According to People, Harry and Meghan wanted to show their support by matching this amount. The money raised will be able to help 37 young women, who will undergo a year-long vocational training to learn necessarily skills that will become their livelihood.
In a message to the fans, Harry said that there is nothing else better than to "celebrate what really matters" than by helping out other people. The Sussex pair also thanked those who donated and heeded to the inspiring fan campaign.
Harry and Meghan have been advocating for CAMFED's activities since they became a royal couple. During their tour of Africa in 2019, the Sussex pair were at CAMFED events in Malawi. The organization is also recognized by the Queen's Commonwealth Trust. The group was invited to Buckingham Palace to meet with Queen Elizabeth during CAMFED's launch in 2017.
Meanwhile, according to People, Harry and Meghan are going to celebrate the duke's 36th year in a quiet way with their "family" in Santa Barbara. The source didn't say if Doria Ragland, Meghan's mom, will be there as well. However, she has been a constant in the life of Harry, Meghan and Archie since their move to California.
Prince Harry and Meghan have been California residents since the middle of March. The couple have visited various charities in the Los Angeles area, amid social distancing measures. They've delivered food to vulnerable families during the lockdown and visited a kitchen run by a charity that gives jobs to former incarcerated individuals.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also distributed school kits before the first day of classes to underprivileged kids. They've also visited a local school to help plant a garden with the children.
While continuing with their advocacies, Prince Harry and Meghan also signed a deal with Netflix to produce inspiring shows and movies that will tackle racial equality and empowerment. The couple's new programs are expected to be at the streaming platform in 2021.
