Grammy-winning singer Shakira travelled to Quibdó, in the Chocó region of Colombia, to personally assess the damage done to schools by the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on 10 August. The visit, documented through images and videos shared on her Instagram account, marks the artist's first public commitment of personal and institutional resources toward the disaster's recovery effort.

What Shakira Announced

In her post, Shakira declared that the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund would dedicate $500,000 — channelled through her foundation Pies Descalzos — to support children returning to classrooms. That amount is being matched by Live Nation, bringing the combined contribution to $1 million.

Beyond the joint fund, Shakira committed her personal resources to the reconstruction of the Technological University of Quibdó, an institution she described as a destination for many Pies Descalzos graduates pursuing higher education. She also announced that the Howard G. Buffett Foundation has pledged to build 10 new schools in Chocó in partnership with Pies Descalzos.

Writing on Instagram, Shakira said: 'Colombia is hurting, but Colombia is not broken. These past few days, I've seen something powerful — people showing up for each other, especially for our kids.'

Scale of the Disaster

The humanitarian toll of the 10 August earthquake, as reported on 14 August, has been severe. According to David Tamayo, director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, the death toll stood at 273, with 3,824 people injured and 377 still missing.

On the infrastructure front, Tamayo said 12,584 homes had been destroyed and a further 74,873 damaged. The quake also caused 172 buildings to collapse and affected 2,198 schools and educational institutions, 825 community centres, 216 health centres, and five airports.

International Relief Efforts

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and its partners have confirmed they are actively supporting the government-led response. OCHA flagged widespread damage to homes and public infrastructure as a key concern in its daily updates. The Colombian government has been coordinating relief operations across the affected provinces since the quake struck.

What Comes Next

Shakira has invited registered nonprofits engaged in relief work to share their stories and register their interest in participating in the broader rebuilding effort. The reconstruction of the Technological University of Quibdó and the construction of 10 new schools in Chocó represent the most concrete long-term commitments announced so far. With over 2,000 educational institutions affected, the road to restoring schooling for Colombia's children will require sustained coordination between private donors, foundations, and government agencies.