Shakira commits to rebuilding schools in quake-hit Chocó region

Howard G. Buffett Foundation to partner with Shakira’s Barefoot Foundation

Colombian singer Shakira pledged Monday to help rebuild at least 10 schools in the western Colombian province of Chocó, the Associated Press reported from Bogotá. The singer made the announcement during a surprise visit to Quibdó, the provincial capital, where she toured damaged schools, hugged students, and posed for photographs. The pledge follows a devastating earthquake that struck western Colombia last week, killing hundreds and affecting thousands of educational sites across the region.

“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.”

Shakira, the globally recognized “Hips Don’t Lie” musician, was accompanied by Howard Buffett, son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett and a longtime donor to Colombia. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation will collaborate with Shakira’s Fundación Pies Descalzos, or Barefoot Foundation, on the rebuild effort, according to the AP. Howard Buffett has previously helped Shakira set up schools in Colombia, the wire service reported.

The earthquake last week hit a remote and hard-hit region of Shakira’s home country and affected thousands of educational sites across western Colombia, the AP said. The singer’s foundation-backed effort will target at least 10 schools in Chocó, the province whose capital is Quibdó.

The school-rebuild commitment follows the devastating earthquake that struck western Colombia last week, killing hundreds and affecting thousands of educational sites across the region, as previously reported.