Colombian superstar Shakira has committed to helping build at least 10 new schools in a remote and hard-hit region of her home country following a devastating earthquake last week that killed hundreds and impacted thousands of educational sites.
Shakira made the pledge during a surprise visit to Quibdó, the capital of the Colombian province of Chocó. During her visit, she toured damaged schools, took photos with students, and expressed her concern about the long-term rebuilding efforts. "What worries me the most is that schools are not rebuilt once this emergency is over,” Shakira told journalists. "Every day that children don’t go to school is a day they miss out on their future."
She was joined by Howard Buffett, son of philanthropist Warren Buffett and a donor who has previously supported Shakira's educational initiatives in Colombia. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation will partner with Shakira's Fundación Pies Descalzos (Barefoot Foundation) on the new school construction project. Shakira also announced that Global Citizen and Live Nation would each contribute $500,000 toward the cause.
The earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 7.4 on August 10, struck a significant portion of western Colombia. Authorities reported at least 287 fatalities and the destruction of over 26,000 homes. While the government stated 194 people were missing, other databases place the number higher.
Chocó, one of Colombia's poorest provinces and the epicenter of the quake, saw at least 3,100 homes destroyed and over 265 educational sites affected, according to regional government reports. Shakira, whose foundation has focused on educational access in Chocó for 22 years, expressed her deep connection to the region.
Aid organizations have faced challenges in assessing the full extent of the damage in Chocó, a province with limited road infrastructure and where communication is difficult. Many towns and villages are primarily accessible via rivers and unpaved roads.
The majority of Chocó's 600,000 residents live in poverty, according to 2023 figures, with the province largely inhabited by Indigenous tribes and Afro-Colombian communities. Shakira emphasized her commitment to the region, stating, "But what there is, is commitment to be here alongside those from Chocó, to not abandon El Chocó like it historically has been abandoned, until every Colombian and every person from Chocó can return to their normal lives like they deserve and all the children can return to their schools and dream of the futures they deserve."
Shakira, a multiple Grammy Award winner, has a history of supporting education-related causes. Following earthquakes in Venezuela in June, she announced that the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund would commit $500,000 to education recovery efforts there. Her announcement is the latest in a series of philanthropic commitments from prominent Colombians and Latin American artists to support earthquake relief efforts in both Colombia and Venezuela.