Rabat – Shakira has pledged $1.25 million (MAD 12.5 million) to support the rebuilding of schools in Colombia’s Chocó region following the devastating earthquake that struck the country earlier this month.
The Colombian superstar travelled to Quibdó yesterday, the capital of Chocó, where she met students and visited schools damaged by the disaster.
The region, one of the country’s most underserved, was among the areas hardest hit by the earthquake, leaving thousands of children facing disruption to their education.
Through her Pies Descalzos Foundation, Shakira is set to work alongside philanthropist Howard Buffett to build 10 new schools in Chocó.
She has also committed her personal efforts to helping rebuild the region’s Technological University.
The initial support includes contributions from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, Live Nation, and CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The funds will go toward restoring learning spaces and helping students return to school as quickly as possible.
For Shakira, education has long been more than a charitable cause. Her foundation has spent decades supporting children in vulnerable communities across Colombia, creating access to classrooms, meals, and opportunities for young people to shape their futures.
During her visit, the singer underlined the urgency of rebuilding educational spaces after disaster strikes.
Every day away from school, she said, is a day that risks putting a child’s future on hold.
Her commitment brings global attention to Chocó’s recovery while offering a message of hope to students and families whose schools have been damaged.
In a moment of deep loss, rebuilding a classroom can mean rebuilding a sense of normality, and possibility.
