On the morning of August 10, a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia. The damage left many buildings razed or severely damaged. This natural disaster struck in the heart of Colombia’s coffee-growing region, with tremors felt in neighboring Venezuela, which experienced intense earthquakes earlier this year. The earthquake was the country’s strongest since 1990, leaving over 3,000 injured with roughly 300 fatalities.
In response to this tragedy, Colombian native Shakira is offering support to her homeland. The singer comes from Barranquilla, located on the northern Caribbean coast. Her music career launched out of the country’s capital, Bogotá, the largest city in the country. The 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck 149 miles west of Bogotá, where the city experienced tremors.
On Monday, August 17, Shakira traveled to Quibdó, the capital of the province of Chocó. In this region, nearly 200 schools reported damage following the catastrophic quake. Shakira met with students and educators in the area and toured the damaged classrooms. Additionally, she met with Chocó’s governor, Nubia Carolina Córdoba, and Quibdó’s mayor, Rafael Bolaños.
ShAKIRA, gLOBAL CITIZEN, AND LIVE NATION PLEDGE TO REBUILD SCHOOLS
The “Queen of Latin Music” has pledged $1.25 million to rebuild 10 schools and a University. On her visit to her homeland, the singer was accompanied by philanthropist Howard Buffett. He has announced that his foundation would separately support the reconstruction of 10 additional schools in Chocó. To this, the philanthropist reported, “When she calls, I come.”
Shakira has stated, “What worries me the most is that schools are not rebuilt once this emergency is over. Every day that children don’t go to school is a day they miss out on their future.” The singer went on to say, “It’s a place I love, a place where I’ve seen our students grow in our classrooms. I really want to see it rebuilt again.”
In 1997, Shakira founded Fundación Pies Descalzos, expanding educational access for children in Colombia. Her foundation has operated out of Chocó for more than two decades and has run two schools in the region. Also, Shakira is dedicating her personal efforts to rebuilding a local technology university in the province of Chocó.
Shakira has partnered with Live Nation to pledge $500,000 to rebuild the schools. This coincides with a $500,000 pledge from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and $250,000 from CAF, the development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. The combined $1.25 million will be processed through Shakira’s foundation, Fundación Pies Descalzos.
Photo by AFP via Getty Images
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