Most know ATL rapper and super producer Johnathan “Lil Jon” Smith for his chart-topping hits, but these days, he’s turned his attention to giving back in a majory way.
Documenting a recent trip to the Asuogyaman district of eastern Ghana on social media, the 46-year-old entertainer revealed that the primary school he helped fund in the area is now officially open. “Yesterday was a special day for me and my family,” he wrote in the caption of the post on his Instagram page. “We had the ribbon cutting ceremony of a primary school in Ghana I funded along with @PencilsofPromise.”
A proud father and husband, Smith partnered with the Pencils of Promise organization to complete the project and was joined by his wife and son for the celebratory occasion. He dedicated the school to the memory of his mother Carrie Smith-Williams, who sadly passed away in 2013 from complications associated with diabetes.
According to local radio station StarrFM, kindergarten students previously attend class under trees or in a shed and were sent home whenever it rained, prior to the construction of the new school building. Smith told the station that he’s just glad to be able to contribute to the community in a way that makes learning as easy as possible for the kids.
“Kindergarten kids at their age they keep up so much stuff,” he said. “So if you can provide an appropriate environment for education, it can make learning very easy for them and Iām glad I can help facilitate that for these kids, looking at where they came from.ā