Shakira Flew Home To Colombia And Pledged $1.25 Million To Rebuild Schools After The Earthquake

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, 2026, killing at least 287 people, injuring more than 4,000, leaving 194 missing, and damaging nearly 200 schools in the Chocó department, one of the country's most remote and historically underserved regions. On August 17, Shakira flew home. The Colombian superstar traveled to Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, walked through damaged classrooms, hugged students, met with teachers, and sat down with the region's governor and mayor to hear firsthand about what the communities needed most. She then announced an initial commitment of $1.25 million to rebuild damaged schools and get children back into classrooms, assembled through a partnership between Shakira and Live Nation, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, and CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. She also announced she would personally dedicate her own efforts to rebuilding the Technological University of Chocó, a public higher education institution damaged in the quake, noting that it was where most of her Fundación Pies Descalzos graduates continued their education. Rebuilding it, she said, means protecting the path those young people have already begun.

Shakira founded Fundación Pies Descalzos, the Barefoot Foundation, in 1997 at age 20, driven by the belief that education was the most reliable tool available for breaking cycles of poverty in Colombia. The foundation has operated in Chocó for more than 25 years and currently runs two schools in the region, meaning this is not distant philanthropy but a community where she has worked, year after year, long before the cameras arrived. Philanthropist Howard G. Buffett, who accompanied her during the Quibdó visit, announced additional support from his foundation to rebuild ten more schools in Chocó and surrounding rural areas. Shakira told reporters that every day children do not go to school is a day their future is put on hold, and that it cannot be allowed. She called for support from governments, foundations, and the private sector, warning that recovery in Chocó will require sustained attention well after the immediate emergency coverage fades. The trip came weeks after she headlined the halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and months after she performed before an estimated two million people at Brazil's Copacabana Beach. She is 49 years old and has been doing this work since she was 20. She flew home the week it mattered most..

Source:https://consequence.net/2026/08/shakira-million-dollar-donation-colombia-earthquake/