Shakira has pledged to help build at least 10 schools in Colombia’s earthquake-hit Chocó province, where thousands of homes have been destroyed and more than 265 educational facilities damaged.
The Colombian singer made the commitment Monday during a surprise visit to Quibdó, the provincial capital, where she visited damaged schools, met students and spoke with local residents.
“What worries me the most is that schools are not rebuilt once this emergency is over,” Shakira told reporters.
“Every day that children don’t go to school is a day they miss out on their future.”
The project will be carried out by Shakira’s Fundación Pies Descalzos, or Barefoot Foundation, together with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
Howard Buffett, the son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, joined Shakira during her visit.
Global Citizen and Live Nation have also pledged $500,000 to support the school rebuilding effort, Shakira said.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, killing at least 287 people and destroying more than 26,000 homes, according to government figures.
Authorities have reported 194 people missing, while civilian-run databases have put the number above 4,100.
Chocó, one of Colombia’s poorest regions, was at the centre of the earthquake.
The regional government said Monday that about 3,100 homes had been destroyed and more than 265 schools and other educational facilities were affected.
Shakira’s foundation has worked in Chocó for 22 years and currently runs two schools there. Hundreds of students have graduated from them.
“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 by Colombian news outlet La FM.
“I really want to see it rebuild again.”
Getting aid to some parts of Chocó has been difficult.
The province has few roads connecting it to the rest of the country, and many towns and villages can only be reached by river or unpaved roads.
Around 600,000 people live in Chocó, most of them in poverty, according to Colombian government figures released last year.
The population is largely made up of Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.
During a visit to a large high school in Quibdó, Shakira said there were no easy answers to the scale of the disaster.
“There are no magic solutions,” she said, adding that she wanted to remain alongside the people of Chocó until children could return to school and families could resume their normal lives.
The 49-year-old singer also said she planned to devote her “personal efforts” to rebuilding a technological university in the province.
Education has long been a focus of Shakira’s philanthropic work. In June, after two earthquakes hit Venezuela, she announced $500,000 in education recovery funding through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.
Other Latin American artists have also joined relief efforts.
Marc Anthony and Chayanne took part in a benefit concert and fundraiser in Miami on Sunday, while Karol G pledged to match donations to her Con Cora Foundation.
The Colombian Football Federation and South American Football Confederation have separately pledged $1 million to Colombian First Lady Ana Lucía Pineda’s “Colombia, one heart” recovery fund.
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