How Is Prince Harry Teaming Up With Leonardo DiCaprio?
Humanitarian work is ingrained in the royal family's lifeblood. In fact, according to their official website, "over 3,000 organizations list a member of the Royal Family as their patron or president." And despite his rocky relationship with the royal family, Prince Harry still carries out his humanitarian work. But the youngest son of the late Princess Diana doesn't carry out his philanthropic duties by obligation, but out of genuine compassion and care.
Looking at Harry's track record, one will notice that he has a vested interest in doing charitable work for Africa — a continent he has dubbed his "second home," per Mirror. His affinity for the continent seemingly started following his mother's death. In 2019, he noted Africa "held [him] in an embrace that [he] will never forget" following the hard time. Plus, in 2004, after wrapping up his time at Eton College, Harry took a gap year to partake in various philanthropic endeavors around the world, per BBC. During this pivotal time, Harry discovered his passion for humanitarian work in Africa — much like his mother.
Being emotionally rocked by the African country of Lesotho, the Duke of Sussex, alongside the nation's Prince Seeiso, founded Sentebale, a charity that protects children who are victims of poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Now, Prince Harry is taking aim at a new cause in Africa, and he's got some A-list backup.
Prince Harry and Leonardo DiCaprio want to end oil drilling in the Okavango River
The Okavango Delta is one of the world's most beautiful sights to behold. Located in Botswana, the Okavango Delta is teeming with wildlife and boasts rich biodiversity within its waters. The lush greenery is unlike any other, providing a natural habitat for all comers in the animal kingdom. And given the lack of an outlet, the nearby Okavango River — which flows between Angola, Namibia, and Botswana — discharges its excess water to the Delta, providing for all wildlife in the region. Together, these regions help make up the Okavango River Basin.
This is why Prince Harry, along with acting veterans Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, and Forest Whitaker, are all taking a stand against the ongoing oil drilling in the region. Per People, Reconnaissance Energy Africa, a Canadian-based company, commenced exploratory drilling within the region in 2020. In a Washington Post op-ed from Prince Harry and Reinhold Mangundu, the two note, "The Okavango... [provides] the main source of water for nearly 1 million Indigenous and local people and some of the planet's most majestic wildlife, including critically endangered species."
"We believe this would pillage the ecosystem for potential profit. Some things in life are best left undisturbed to carry out their purpose as a natural benefit," they continued elsewhere. The two cited October's oil spill in California and lambasted drilling as "an outdated gamble that reaps disastrous consequences for many, and incredible riches for a powerful few."