Maro’s journey and impact to date

Maro Itoje is one of the world’s best professional rugby players playing for England and Saracens. Maro is also a philanthropist on a mission to help support children and young people in Nigeria to be lifted out of poverty, by providing access to formal education. Maro wholeheartedly believes that access to a good education is a fundamental right for every child.

Maro is deeply proud of his Nigerian heritage. He has a really close connection with Nigeria and visits regularly to see extended family and undertake his philanthropic work. He is deeply passionate about education and equality and also has a real love of art. Maro also recognises that as a professional rugby player, his sport has the power to inspire and unite in a way that little else does.

Education is one of the most powerful tools to break cycles of poverty and unlock a brighter future. Driven by this vision, the Pearl Fund was founded by Maro to transform lives in Nigeria through life-changing educational programs.

The Pearl Fund partners with local nonprofit organisations to support children in underserved communities, giving them a real chance to learn, grow, and achieve their fullest potential. By providing critical resources, we’re helping to remove barriers to education and creating pathways for these children to build promising futures. To date, Maro has personally funded educational scholarships for 40 children in collaboration with the nonprofit Community Development Links Initiative (CDLI) based in Lagos, Nigeria.