Shakira to Rebuild Earthquake-Hit Schools in Colombia

Colombian singer Shakira announced on Monday that she will rebuild the Technological University of Chocó and fund ten new schools following a devastating earthquake.

The artist visited Quibdó, the capital of the Chocó department, alongside American philanthropist Howard Graham Buffett to review damage and pledge reconstruction assistance through her Pies Descalzos Foundation.

Speaking to journalists in Quibdó, Shakira said she would focus all her personal efforts on restoring the Technological University of Chocó. She explained that Buffett and her foundation would collaborate to build ten new schools across the department, emphasizing that bringing him to the region was essential for the recovery initiative.

She added that every day children are unable to attend school represents a day their future is paused, stressing that such delays cannot be permitted.

Funding and international support

To fund the educational reconstruction, Shakira arranged a combined donation of 1 million dollars. On her initiative, the advocacy group Global Citizen will contribute 500,000 dollars, while concert promoter Live Nation will provide an additional 500,000 dollars to rebuild schools destroyed in the disaster.

Global Citizen is an international organization dedicated to ending poverty, while Live Nation Entertainment is one of the world's largest live entertainment and concert promotion companies.

The singer also issued a broad appeal to international leaders, calling on the governments of Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom, alongside private sector companies and non-profit foundations, to join the recovery campaign in Chocó.

Addressing historic debt in Chocó

During her visit, Shakira emphasized that the department of Chocó has long suffered from a historic debt of neglect. She warned that relief efforts must not cease once initial media attention and immediate emergency aid fade.

In the department of Chocó alone, the earthquake left at least 13 people dead, thousands of victims displaced or impacted, and hundreds of homes and public buildings destroyed or heavily damaged.

Shakira expressed concern that after the official state of emergency ends, affected residents will be forgotten and children will remain unable to return to their classrooms.

The singer highlighted the work of her charity, the Pies Descalzos Foundation, which has operated in Chocó for 22 years. The organization has graduated roughly 400 students in the region, with 70 percent of those graduates advancing to university education.

Inspection tour and local leadership

During their joint inspection of Quibdó, Shakira and Buffett toured several damaged neighborhoods and visited the Carrasquilla Industrial Technological School, the largest educational institution in the department. There, they met with local children and greeted the governor of Chocó, Nubia Carolina Córdoba-Curi.

Chocó is a predominantly rainforest department located along Colombia's Pacific coast, long facing infrastructure challenges, with Quibdó serving as its administrative capital.

Shakira referred to Buffett as a close friend. He is the son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest people in the world, and serves as chairman of his own philanthropic foundation.

Buffett has allocated more than 160 million dollars to Colombia since 2008. His contributions have funded rural development programs, infrastructure projects, landmine clearance, illicit crop substitution, and educational initiatives across the country.

Nationwide earthquake toll

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake caused widespread devastation across Colombia on August 10. Official figures confirm at least 304 fatalities whose bodies have been transferred to the Institute of Legal Medicine for identification.

Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management reported that the seismic event left 4,147 people injured and 194 missing, while destroying or severely compromising numerous buildings nationwide.