Colombian singer Shakira has visited the city of Quibdó in the western department of Chocó after securing more than $1.25 million in initial aid to rebuild ten schools and assist a regional university damaged by a major earthquake.
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, killing nearly 300 people, destroying more than 26,000 homes, and damaging thousands of educational centers across the country. In the department of Chocó, around 40 schools were left unusable by the disaster.
Fundraising for school reconstruction
Accompanied by American businessman and philanthropist Howard G. Buffett, Shakira toured damaged classrooms and empty schools in Quibdó, the capital of Chocó. During her visit, she announced plans to rebuild ten schools and support the recovery of the Technological University of Chocó Diego Luis Córdoba, the main public higher education institution in the region.
Shakira said that organizers would not let go of the hands of the people of Chocó until every child is able to return to school.
The initial mobilization of more than $1.25 million includes $500,000 from the FIFA-Global Citizen Educational Fund and $500,000 from music promotion company Live Nation. CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, is contributing $250,000, alongside a committed intervention from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
Background of Pies Descalzos Foundation
The humanitarian effort comes shortly after Shakira performed her song Dai Dai at the World Cup final before millions of viewers, and following her global concert tour which grossed $421.6 million across 82 shows.
Shakira experienced inequality firsthand during her childhood in the Caribbean city of Barranquilla. Her father once took her to a park where orphaned children lived so she would understand that her family's financial struggles were small compared to extreme poverty.
In 1997, at age 18, she founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation with the belief that education is the most effective tool to prevent a person's birthplace from determining their entire life.
Over nearly three decades, the Pies Descalzos Foundation has assisted more than 282,000 children and young people across approximately 300 public schools. The organization provides educational resources, student nutrition, teacher training, family support, and community development projects.
Disruption to education in Chocó
The August earthquake disrupted daily routines in Chocó, one of the poorest and most vulnerable departments in Colombia.
Local community leaders and humanitarian organizations warn that each lost day of school raises the risk of student dropout, child labor, recruitment by armed groups, and forced displacement. Returning children to classrooms is seen as essential for rebuilding stability and securing a future for the region.
