On April 14, 2014, 276 Nigerian school girls were kidnapped from a boarding school in the small town of Chibok. Nigerian terrorist, known as the Boko Haram, claimed responsibility. They used the girls as a bargaining tool for the release of several jailed militants, but many girls remain in their possession to this day.

Since then, scores of girls have been forced to marry their Islamic extremist abductors, with many having given birth to children as a result of the unions. Some families will probably never see their loved ones again.

Since the initial capture, 21 girls have escaped, and billionaire Robert Smith is invested in helping make their lives a little better, Forbes reports.

While the Austin, Texas-based founder of Vista Equity Partners knows that it will take much more than money to establish normalcy in the lives of these young girls, he has committed to paying for tuition, housing, meal plans and other related expenses for all 21 adoptees of the Nigerian government to attend the prestigious American University of Nigeria in Yola. Smith is also providing financial assistance to three other women in the Chibok community.

Smith is no stranger to philanthropy. As the founder of Project Realize, his mission is to combine the best elements of the American free enterprise system with the core American ideals of giving back and uplifting others.

Kudos to Mr. Smith for stepping up and making a difference in the lives of these young girls and women.