In the wake of a catastrophic 7.4-magnitude earthquake that ripped through western Colombia on August 10, leaving hundreds dead and thousands of educational facilities damaged, global Colombian music icon Shakira has launched a major initiative to restore learning access for children in the hardest-hit, remote region of Chocó. The Grammy-winning superstar made the commitment public during an unannounced visit to Quibdó, Chocó’s capital, on Monday, where she walked through crumpled school grounds, embraced displaced students and posed for photos with communities grappling with the disaster’s aftermath.
The earthquake, whose epicenter fell within Chocó’s borders, has officially claimed at least 287 lives, destroyed more than 26,000 residential structures and left 194 people unaccounted for, per Colombian government data. Independent civilian-led registries, however, place the missing count at over 4,100. Regional government updates from Monday confirm that at least 3,100 homes in Chocó were leveled, and more than 265 educational sites across the province suffered severe damage. One of Colombia’s poorest regions with a population of roughly 600,000 — most of whom are members of Indigenous tribes and Afro-Colombian communities — Chocó presents unique logistical challenges for relief efforts: roughly the size of Switzerland, it has very few paved connections to the rest of the country, with most remote communities accessible only via river or unpaved roads, slowing damage assessments and aid delivery.
For Shakira, the disaster hits close to home. Her Barefoot Foundation (Fundación Pies Descalzos), which has worked to expand educational access for vulnerable Colombian youth for nearly three decades, has operated two successful schools in Chocó for 22 years, graduating hundreds of local students. “It’s a place I love, a place where I’ve seen our students grow in our classrooms,” Shakira shared in a video posted to X by Colombian news outlet La FM. “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,” she told reporters during her visit.
The superstar emphasized that her pledge is a long-term commitment, not a short-term emergency response, pushing back against a history of neglect that has long marginalized Chocó. “There is not a way to alleviate the pain of so many, there are no magic solutions,” she said during a stop at a large Quibdó high school. “But what there is, is commitment to be here alongside those from Chocó, to not abandon El Chocó like it historically has been abandoned, until every Colombian and every person from Chocó can return to their normal lives like they deserve and all the children can return to their schools and dream of the futures they deserve.” In addition to rebuilding 10 primary and secondary schools, Shakira added that she will devote all her personal efforts to restoring Chocó’s local technological university.
Collaborating on the project is Howard G. Buffett, son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett and a long-time development donor to Colombia who has previously partnered with Shakira on school construction projects in the country. “When she calls, I come,” Buffett said of his involvement. His namesake foundation will partner with the Barefoot Foundation to execute the reconstruction. Two additional major organizations have also committed funding: Global Citizen and Live Nation each pledged $500,000 to the cause.
Shakira’s commitment is the latest in a wave of support from prominent Latin American and Colombian public figures for earthquake recovery efforts in both Colombia and neighboring Venezuela, which was hit by twin quakes in June. Just last week, the Colombian Football Federation and South American Football Confederation jointly pledged $1 million to Colombian First Lady Ana Lucía Pineda’s “Colombia, one heart” recovery fund. On Sunday, star artists Marc Anthony and Chayanne headlined a star-studded benefit concert and live fundraiser in Miami for both countries’ relief efforts. Colombian reguetonera Karol G has pledged to match all fan donations to her Con Cora Foundation during her recent three-night run at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, and will join fellow Colombian star Maluma, Sebastián Yatra and other artists for a Bogotá benefit concert this coming Sunday. Shakira herself already demonstrated rapid response to the Venezuela quakes, announcing the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund would commit $500,000 to education recovery there just months ago.
A globally recognized performer who most recently headlined the 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show and drew a crowd of 2 million fans to a May concert on Brazil’s Copacabana Beach, Shakira has leveraged her fame for decades to advance education equity across her home country. Monday’s pledge reaffirms her long-standing focus on ensuring no child loses access to learning in the wake of crisis.
Shakira makes surprise visit to earthquake-damaged Colombian schools and says she will help rebuild
