Sharapova Serves Against Poverty

World number one Maria Sharapova doesn’t limit her goodness to tennis, today she was appointed goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), pledging to support their fight against world poverty. The 19-year-old Russian tennis star also donated $100,000 to recovery projects in rural areas in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine still impacted by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

“My first step is to focus on the Chernobyl-affected region, where my family has roots,” Sharapova explained. “Today, it is poverty and lack of opportunities that pose the greatest threat for young people in the Chernobyl region.” As an ambassador, Sharapova will help to promote international efforts to reduce poverty and achieve improvements in the areas of education, health, women’s rights, and sanitation.