Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Donate $2 MILLION To Namibian Wildlife Preserve

JOHANNESBURG — Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are donating $2 million to the Namibian sanctuary where they spent Christmas with their kids.

The donation to the Naankuse Lodge and Wildlife Sanctuary was made through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation in the name of their daughter Shiloh, who was born in Namibia.

In a statement released late Sunday, Angelina said, "We want her to be very involved and grow up with the understanding of her country of birth."

Angelina said Rudie and Marlice van Vuuren, the owners of the sanctuary, are old friends. "We continue to be impressed by their hard work and dedication to the people and conservation of the land and wildlife of Namibia," she said.

The Jolie-Pitt family spent Christmas together at the exclusive lodge, where staff say the children helped to feed and care for orphaned baby baboons and foxes and saw a leopard released back into the wild.

The van Vuurens said in the statement that they were "overjoyed" that Angelina and Brad chose Naankuse as the foundation's partner in Namibia.

Dara Barrett, head of finance at the Naankuse sanctuary, told The Associated Press that the money would be used primarily to benefit the community of San bushmen on the farm and surrounding areas.

"Some of the donated funds will be used in the running of a clinic which provides free medical care to the community of bushmen, including the treatment of malnutrition, tuberculosis and HIV," she said.

The remainder of the funds will be used for large animal conservation projects and other San community projects which have yet to be identified, Barrett said.

(This version CORRECTS date of statement.)

Comments

[Maria Piccolino]

11:20 AM on 03/03/2011

I think Angelina and Brad are very generous, kind hearted people but I wish they would concentrate more on fundraising for charities closer to home here in the U.S.

[wegroove]

09:16 AM on 02/08/2011

I don't follow them as much as some people here but what i can see is that Brad is much more interested in domestic affairs, angie seems to be interested only in things oversees. The "make it right" organisation that rebuilds houses in New Orleans is brad's personnal effort, even the jolie-pitt foundation is not associated to it. the UN-HCR stuff angie does, is hew thing alone, sometimes brad comes along, but most of the time she is alone on those trips. it doesn't mean she has no concerns for children's issue in america and that she has made no donations of organised anything, and it's not like Brad do not care about things that happen overseas, they both donated to haiti and travelled there together twice.

By the way critisizing a donation overseas is like saying an american who works at the UN (as a U.N. operatives) doesn't like america, what about those americans who enter the peace corps and go to help diverse forms of humanitarian efforts overseas? what about american doctors who leave everything behind to be part of Doctor Without Border, you think they do because they don't care about people who needs doctor here, by the way given how the health care system works in the states, i am not sure they will be able to help anyone if they stayed!

[wegroove]

08:20 AM on 02/08/2011

There are actualy a lot of criticism to be made about the humanitarian efforts made by so many starts of Hollyweird, there are real legitimate criticism, but when it comes to brangelina the passion is so high that criticism are just based on some fabricated news and pseudo conspirational theories etc...

[Karama]

11:56 PM on 01/07/2011

The critics of BP&AJ have said that there are many celebs who donate big but do it quietly because they are discreet and classy, so you just know that these discreet and classy donors must have given and/or will give many millions for their fellow citizens' welfare.

[checkplease]

11:20 AM on 01/09/2011

Brangie was recently in Missouri for a 45 minute stay at St.John Hospital. They had someone take a photo of them at the Hospital, and of course they had to announce their donation along with their photo, all over the internet for a full week. Who do you think staged that photo op? These two can't donate a dime without announcing it to the world. They know it's just good PR, People are catching on that all they wish to do is become the biggest celebrities, and line their pockets with cash$$$. They have at least 4 homes, one of which is worth 40 million. The amount they donate is equivalent to the working class donating $100. The mindless working class see the 1 or 2 million dollar donation, but they can't do the math. Brangie makes more money yearly in interest alone. Their is no need to make sure that every dime they donate is announced, it is classless. Stop insulting the real givers who give out of real selflessness, not just media attention and more fans, hence more money for them to donate, in an ever ending circle where Brangie comes out on top$$$$. This reminds me of the 'pyramid scheme'.

[Karama]

05:38 PM on 01/09/2011

Where have you been? That donation for the hospital is old news, and that photo could have been staged by the hospital, hoping for more generous donations. Who cares who staged it, and who cares if people announce their donations?

"Real givers?" Are you saying when you give quietly you're a "real giver," and when you announce your donation, you're NOT a "real giver?" Does that make sense to you?
Do you think before you type?

Does it matter if people announce their donations or give quietly? ALL donations, big and small, help the recipients (hospitals, Red Cross, UN refugee agency, Unicef, CARE, Doctors without Borders, Oxfam, etc ec.), and the people who need help benefit from all the donors' largesse.

Both Jolie and Pitt are already very famous and successful, with enough fans all over the world who like their movies. They don't need anymore PR. It's the media that goes on and on about them, and then people, both fans and haters, go on and on about them, like we're doing here. LOL

I can certainly do the math, and you forget that they don't have to give anything!


checkplease, you obviously don't care for this couple, so ignore them and think of all the donors who are, as some posters put it, "discreet and classy people who give quietly." That will put the smile back on your face.

[checkplease]

05:46 PM on 01/09/2011

Angie had been referring to Brad as her "lover" for years. Who does that? Why not, my partner, my friend, the father of our children. This alone shows how classless she is. When I kept hearing her refer to Brad as her lover, it made me cringe. I wondered why she got no flak for this. Brad is another classless guy who allowed this. I have never heard of anyone refer to their partner and father of their children, as my "lover". Why? Because it's classless, tasteless and trampy, not to mention absurd and insane. Brangie's risen to a role model level they don't deserve. Do we really need more of a moral decline in this country? People will follow suit, because they see Brangie rise to role model level, despite their apparent lack thereof.

[MarkDTN8]

01:35 PM on 01/06/2011

Think it's wonderful. So much more interesting to hear celebrities being philanthropic over they just finished second rehab stint or are getting divorced for second or third time. These two get judged harshly I think and feel it's undeserved. Their generosity is obvious and still they're subject to criticism, shame. Great work it's inspiring.

[Indigo1941]

01:28 PM on 01/06/2011

What lovely people! G'bless them!

[Thomas Murphy]

01:12 PM on 01/05/2011

WOW! Now that it's TRENDY, B. and J. JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON! Which of your P.R. people told you to do THAT?

[Wealth-to-Freedom]

08:36 PM on 01/04/2011

Great example of how those with money and influence can change the world with making decisions to help the planet and the people who live on it.

[JJovana]

07:15 PM on 01/04/2011

No good dead goes un-bitched about.

[ConsensusReality]

06:26 PM on 01/04/2011

There are a lot of reasons to criticize people, but this one seems like it would go near the botton of the list.

[Porky D]

05:58 PM on 01/04/2011

Why do so many "liberal" Americans focus their charity efforts on Africa? Have they not heard of hillbillies? How about that guy in the cardboard box over the heating grate? I would think it white guilt were it not for the fact that there are so many poor blacks in the US itself - or do these people think black Africans matter more than black Americans?

[kcnewhaven]

12:27 PM on 01/05/2011

Like maybe financing projects to rebuild New Orleans???

Oh wait they already do that!


www.makeitrightnola.org

[Thomas Murphy]

01:15 PM on 01/05/2011

I agree one hundred percent: we need monetary help in American before our "stars" send it overseas. It's good p.r. for them, and does a lot for their "reputation", but neglects their fellow citizen's welfare.

[checkplease]

09:04 PM on 01/08/2011

Brangie donates overseas, but makes her living here. We're paying her to donate overseas?. Some posters have commented that we shouldn't tell Brangie how to spend their hard earned money. To that I say, they earned their money not overseas, but right here! Angie was recently furious that her fans didn't flock to see her movie 'The Tourist', when it was released here in the US. To her I say, maybe they'd rather see a movie in which an overseas actor plays the lead. Who is she to get upset with what movie people choose to see. She's a two faced hypocrite, just like her fans.

[MaryfromIL]

12:11 AM on 01/17/2011

Ah, another WWJD moment. I'm sure he counseled his disciples to take care of themselves first.

[sushigirl]

05:25 PM on 01/04/2011

Not much to say, just look at the picture of the snow covered U.S. citizen.

[danusgram]

04:54 PM on 01/04/2011

2 million dollars spent on the homeless and the hungry in this country would have been very admirable...animals and forest yes they are important but not the same as human beings.

[kwapiv]

05:50 PM on 01/04/2011

Considering how much Brad Pitt has been helping rebuild homes in New Orleans I think we should cut them some slack. They are doing more than half of their celebrity buddies; so they gave $2 million dollars to conservation; I bet they've given just as much if not more to this country; so lets calm down a bit.

[Said One]

03:06 AM on 01/07/2011

The people BUY those houses back

[kcnewhaven]

12:28 PM on 01/05/2011

Why are human more important????

[Midnightrain]

04:46 PM on 01/04/2011

"Some of the funds will be used" for human health, but the majority will go to animals.

Why not just say that?

[Kydo]

04:37 PM on 01/04/2011

This is ridiculous. If the rich are going to give away money to non-Americans when so many Americans are in desparate straights, we should just tax all their profits so we can distribute them to our countrymen who need it more.

[jl1111]

04:42 PM on 01/04/2011

Do you know how much time, money and commitment Brad Pitt has put into New Orleans after Katrina? They seem to be spreading their money around with careful consideration. After all, this is their adopted daughter's birthplace.

[JJovana]

07:14 PM on 01/04/2011

Actually, biological daughter Shiloh was born there. But you made your point :)

[I2Care]

04:48 PM on 01/04/2011

Nonamericans? I don't think the Animals who live in Namibia care about geographical boundries.