The Weeknd Donates $50,000 To U Of Toronto For Ethiopic Studies

Ethiopia is best-known for its distance runners and for being the ancestral homeland of Toronto-born megastar The Weeknd. Born Abel Tesfaye, The Weeknd has made a $50,000 donation towards the creation of an Ethiopic Studies program at the University of Toronto, according to the Toronto Star. The money will reportedly fund a course on Ge’ez, the ancient language of Ethiopia.

The U of Toronto's Ethiopic Studies program represents a partnership between the university and the Bikila Award, named after Olympic marathoner Abebe Bikila. The organization initially hoped to raise $50,000 until The Weeknd decided to donate the full amount. Word up.