Colombian superstar Shakira announced Monday that she will help rebuild at least 10 schools and restore a local university in a remote and hard-hit region of her home country following a devastating earthquake last week. The pledge came during a surprise visit to Quibdó, the capital of the Chocó province, where she toured damaged educational sites and spoke with students.
"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."
The singer was accompanied by Howard Buffett, son of philanthropist Warren Buffett, whose Howard G. Buffett Foundation will collaborate with Shakira’s Fundación Pies Descalzos (Barefoot Foundation) on reconstructing the 10 schools. "When she calls, I come," Buffett stated during the visit.
Shakira also announced personal efforts toward rebuilding the Technological University of Chocó. Additional funding pledges include $500,000 each from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation, and $250,000 from CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, aimed at school reconstruction and aiding children's return to classrooms.
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake, which struck on August 10, impacted a vast area of western Colombia, resulting in at least 287 deaths and destroying over 26,000 dwellings. Authorities reported 194 people missing, though some databases indicate a higher number. Chocó, one of Colombia's poorest regions, was particularly affected, with at least 3,100 homes destroyed and over 265 educational sites impacted.
Shakira's foundation has been active in Chocó for 22 years, focusing on educational access for youth. "It’s a place I love, a place where I’ve seen our students grow in our classrooms," she said in a video posted on X. "I really want to see it rebuild again."
Aid groups have faced challenges in assessing the full extent of the damage in Chocó, a province with limited road infrastructure, where communication is difficult and towns are primarily connected by rivers and unpaved roads. Most of Chocó’s 600,000 inhabitants live in poverty, with significant Indigenous and Afro-Colombian populations.
"There is not a way to alleviate the pain of so many, there are no magic solutions," Shakira stated. "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."
The Grammy Award winner is a longtime advocate for educational access. Her announcement follows similar commitments after earthquakes in Venezuela in June, where the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund also pledged $500,000 for education recovery. Other artists, including Marc Anthony, Chayanne, and Karol G, have also contributed to earthquake relief efforts for Colombia and Venezuela through benefit concerts and matching donations.