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Shakira visits earthquake-stricken Chocó to evaluate damage and commit funds for school reconstruction [PHOTOS]

Nearly 200 schools in the department were reportedly damaged, while approximately 40 were completely destroyed

“Our commitment isn’t going anywhere: we won’t stop until every child in Chocó, and across Colombia, can go back to their classrooms, their friends, their lives.”

AUGUST 18, 2026 3:19 PM EDTAUG 18, 2026, 3:19 PM EDT

Shakira is turning her attention to one of Colombia’s hardest-hit regions following the devastating earthquake that struck the country on August 10. The Colombian superstar visited Chocó to stand alongside families and communities affected by the disaster and announce the first wave of relief and rebuilding efforts she plans to lead alongside Fundación Pies Descalzos and local and international partners.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake caused widespread destruction in western Colombia, with Chocó at the center of the devastation. Hundreds of people were killed, thousands were injured and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed, according to reports published following the disaster, as informed by AP News.

Volunteers and rescuers look for survivors amid the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Cali, Colombia on August 11, 2026.

For Shakira, the trip was also a return to a community with deep ties to her philanthropic work. Fundación Pies Descalzos has been active in Chocó for 22 years, working to expand access to quality education and support children, families and educators in the region. The foundation currently reports that its education programs have benefited more than 282,000 children and young people across Colombia and supported more than 300 public schools.

Shakira visits Chocó after devastating Colombia earthquake

The earthquake dealt an especially severe blow to Chocó's education system.

Nearly 200 schools in the department were reportedly damaged, while approximately 40 were completely destroyed. Shakira toured damaged educational facilities in Quibdó during her visit, seeing firsthand the destruction facing students and teachers.

Beyond damaged classrooms, families throughout the region are confronting destroyed homes and the deaths of loved ones. “To the parents who lost their children, words are not enough. All I can offer is my heart, and the promise that their pain will never be forgotten,” Shakira said.

Her response is placing education at the center of the recovery effort, with the singer and her foundation working to get affected students back into classrooms while developing longer-term plans for rebuilding.

Shakira announces $1.25 million for Chocó schools

During her visit, Shakira announced an initial $1.25 million in commitments to help restore educational infrastructure. The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund has committed $500,000, while Live Nation has pledged another $500,000. CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, is adding $250,000 to the effort, bringing the initial commitments to $1.25 million. “My commitment is real. We have already raised $1.25 million to get this rebuilding process underway,” Shakira said.

Beyond damaged classrooms, families throughout the region are confronting destroyed homes and the deaths of loved ones.

The funding is intended to help launch the reconstruction process and get children affected by the earthquake back into safe learning environments as quickly as possible.

But Shakira made clear that the $1.25 million represents a starting point rather than the full scope of the campaign.

Shakira plans to help rebuild a university in Quibdó

Shakira also announced plans to support the reconstruction of the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó in Quibdó, which was damaged by the earthquake.

The university holds particular significance for Fundación Pies Descalzos because students who have benefited from the foundation's educational programs can continue their studies there. Reports from Shakira's visit confirm that restoring the university is part of the broader education recovery effort she is championing.

Shakira visits earthquake-hit Chocó, Colombia, pledging $1.25 million for schools and leading long-term rebuilding efforts through Pies Descalzos.

The project extends her focus beyond immediate emergency assistance and toward rebuilding the educational pathway children and young adults need in the years ahead. “A school is more than just buildings. It’s where a child feels safe, where they can grow, dream, and where they can get the chance at a better future. Every day a child is out of the school system is a day we steal from that future,” Shakira said.

Howard G. Buffett Foundation joins Shakira's Chocó rebuilding effort

Another major component of the recovery plan will come through a partnership between Fundación Pies Descalzos and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The organizations plan to build 10 schools in Chocó as part of the longer-term effort to restore educational infrastructure destroyed or damaged by the earthquake. Howard Buffett accompanied Shakira during her visit to the affected region.

The initiative builds on Fundación Pies Descalzos' longstanding education work in Colombia, where the organization develops educational programs and infrastructure projects in underserved communities.

For Shakira, rebuilding schools is also about preventing the disaster from creating another crisis months or years from now. Without functioning classrooms, children can fall out of the education system altogether, particularly in communities already facing poverty and limited resources.

Shakira calls for international support for Chocó

Shakira is now calling on the international community, private companies, organizations and individuals with the resources to help to join the recovery. “This is just the beginning. It’s going to be a long fight but we’ll keep going week after week, month after month, raising new donations and bringing new organizations that understand the importance and how urgent it is to protect our children,” she said. “Our commitment isn’t going anywhere: we won’t stop until every child in Chocó, and across Colombia, can go back to their classrooms, their friends, their lives.”

That long-term approach could prove critical once the immediate international attention surrounding the earthquake begins to diminish.

Fundación Pies Descalzos plans to continue working alongside its partners and communities in Chocó to identify urgent needs, coordinate funding and move reconstruction forward in phases.

For an organization that has spent more than two decades working in Chocó, the response is not simply a short-term disaster relief campaign. It is an extension of an existing commitment to education in a region where rebuilding could take years. “Chocó is not alone. Colombia is not alone,” Shakira said. “We’re in this together until we’re back on our feet.”