M.I.A. Building Schools for Liberia With Paycheck

M.I.A., the outspoken British/Sri Lankan rapper is giving back to the community with the paycheck that she earned for performing. The star will make use of her $100,000 salary that she earned as the guest singer of MTV Movie Awards after-party on Sunday, June 1 to build schools in Liberia.

"They're giving me $100,000. Not bad, eh? I'm going to use it to build schools in Liberia," M.I.A. who climbed on a photo booth told the crowd. "It costs $52,000 to build a school for 1,000." After two civil wars that ended in 1996 and 2003 respectively, Liberia has been in a state of flux that cost many lives and crushed the country's economy.

M.I.A. will be among many celebrities who aid other countries by establishing a school. Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has set up an education system in west African countries while Madonna reportedly will open a school for girls in Malawi, the country where she adopted son David Banda.