When disaster struck Colombia’s Pacific coast, Shakira didn’t just send thoughts and prayers—she boarded a plane. On Monday, August 17, the Barranquilla-born superstar touched down in Quibdó, Chocó, alongside U.S. philanthropist Howard Buffett to assess the devastation from the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that rocked the region on August 10.
A Personal Mission for Education
Walking through the rubble of the Carrasquilla Industrial Technological School, Shakira witnessed firsthand the shattered classrooms and broken dreams left behind. “Every day children miss school is a day we pause their future—and that’s something we cannot allow,” she told reporters, her voice steady but urgent.
Her response was swift and concrete. Shakira announced she had mobilized US$1 million—channeled through Global Citizen and Live Nation, partners in her recent tour—to rebuild educational infrastructure across Chocó. But the commitment goes deeper. Together with Buffett and her Fundación Pies Descalzos (Barefoot Foundation), she pledged to construct 10 new schools in the department, ensuring that students can return to safe, functional classrooms.
Chocó
Chocó has long carried Colombia’s heaviest burden of poverty and neglect. Even before the quake, 62% of Quibdó residents lived below the poverty line, with 33% in extreme poverty. The earthquake left 13 dead, over 45,000 affected, and more than 1,000 homes destroyed in the department alone. Nationally, the toll climbs higher: at least 287 fatalities and over 26,000 homes lost.
Shakira called the region’s plight a “historical debt” that Colombia must repay. “Chocó has been abandoned,” she said, urging international governments and private donors to join the recovery effort. Her presence, she admitted, was strategic: to keep the crisis in the spotlight long after the emergency crews depart.
Rebuilding More Than Walls
Beyond the 10 new schools, Shakira committed to restoring the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó, a cornerstone of higher education in the region. Her foundation, which has operated in Colombia for 22 years, has already graduated roughly 400 students from Chocó, 80% of whom continued to university.
Yet challenges remain. President Abelardo De la Espriella proposed virtual classes as a stopgap, but locals and Shakira alike questioned its feasibility. “There’s no connectivity here,” she noted. “Children can’t attend class from home if they have no signal, no devices, and no power.”
For now, the focus is on bricks, mortar, and hope. As Howard Buffett’s foundation joins forces with Pies Descalzos, the promise is clear: Chocó’s children will not be left behind.
Photo credit: Gobernación del Chocó
