Shakira visits Chocó announcing a commitment to rebuild schools in Chocó
Key Takeaways
The artist announced that more than $1million-dollar was raised for emergency relief, plus the rebuilding of the Universidad Tecnológica de Quibdó and construction of ten new schools alongside the Buffett Foundation and Pies Descalzos Foundation.
Shakira visited Chocó to stand alongside communities affected by the recent disaster and announce the first wave of relief and rebuilding efforts she will lead together with Fundación Pies Descalzos and both local and international partners.
Chocó has been home to Fundación Pies Descalzos’ work for 22 years, supporting thousands of children and their families, as well as local communities through quality education.
The disaster has taken an especially heavy toll on the department’s school infrastructure. Nearly 200 schools were damaged, 40 of them, completely destroyed, leaving thousands of children without anywhere to study and countless families facing the loss of their homes and, in most heartbreaking cases, their loved ones.
“To the parents who lost their children, words are not enough. All I can offer is my heart, and the promise that their plan will never be forgotten”, Shakira said.
As part of the emergency response. Shakira announced that Global Citizen has pledged $ 500.000 dollars toward rebuilding the affected schools, and Live Nation also donated another $500,000, bringing to the initial fund a $1million. CAF- the development bank for Latin América and the Caribbean joins the efforts with an additional $ 250.000 aimed at helping affected children get back into the classroom as soon as possible.
“My commitment is real. We have already raised 1.25 million to get this rebuilding process underway”
During her visit, Shakira also announced that she will personally lead the efforts to rebuild the Universidad Tecnológica de Quibdó, one of the schools affected by the disaster and the city’s only university, where many of the Pies Descalzos graduates go on to pursue higher education.
The Howard G. Buffett Foundation is joining its efforts as well, partnering with Fundación Pies Descalzos to build ten new schools in Chocó, as part of a longer-term push to restore the region’s educational infrastructure.
“A school is more than just buildings: It’s where a child feels safe, where they can grow, dream, and where they can get the chance at a future. Every child outside school is a day we steal from that future”
Shakira also called on the international community, the private sector and anyone in a position to provide support at every stage of recovery, noting that the work of rebuilding won’t stop once the story fades from the headlines.
“This is just the beginning. It’s going to be a long fight but we’ll keep going week after week, month after month, ,raising new donations and bringing new organizations that understand the importance and how urgent it is to protect our children. Our commitment isn’t going anywhere: we won't stop until every child in Chocó, and across Colombia can go back to their classrooms, their friends, their lives”
The Pies Descalzos Foundation will continue working with its partners and local communities to identify the most urgent needs, coordinate the funds raised, and carry the reconstruction forward phase by phase.
“Chocó is not alone. Colombia is not alone. We’re in this together until we’re back on our feet”