Bogota, Colombia — Colombian superstar Shakira made a surprise visit Monday to the earthquake-devastated region of Chocó, pledging to help rebuild schools and support the reconstruction of a damaged university.
Shakira toured schools in Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, where around 40 schools completely collapsed and hundreds more were damaged. She met students, hugged them and posed for photos during the emotional visit.
READ MORE : Colombia earthquake: At least 132 dead and 570 injured after a 7.4-magnitude quake
“What worries me the most is that schools are not rebuilt once this emergency is over,” Shakira told journalists. “Every day that children don’t go to school is a day they miss out on their future.”
Shakira was accompanied by philanthropist Howard Buffett, son of billionaire Warren Buffett and a longtime supporter of humanitarian projects in Colombia. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation will work with Shakira’s Fundación Pies Descalzos (Barefoot Foundation) to rebuild 10 schools.
“When she calls, I come,” Buffett said during the visit.
Shakira also announced that she would make rebuilding a severely damaged technological university in Chocó one of her personal priorities. Additional funding commitments include $500,000 each from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation, along with $250,000 from CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on August 10 killed at least 287 people and destroyed more than 26,000 homes, according to authorities. The government has reported 194 people missing, while some civilian-run databases have reported a significantly higher figure. Thousands of educational centers were also affected.
Chocó, one of Colombia’s poorest regions, was at the center of the devastation, with at least 3,100 homes destroyed, according to the regional government.
Aid groups and officials are continuing to assess the scale of the destruction in Chocó, a vast province roughly the size of Switzerland where difficult terrain and limited infrastructure have slowed relief efforts. Few roads connect the region to the rest of Colombia, while many towns and villages are accessible mainly by rivers and unpaved roads.
Most of Chocó’s roughly 600,000 residents live in poverty, according to figures published last year by Colombia’s national government. The province is home to large Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities that have historically faced significant economic and infrastructure challenges.
“There is not a way to alleviate the pain of so many, there are no magic solutions,” Shakira, 49, said during a visit to a large high school in Quibdó.
“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,” she said.
“It’s a place I love, a place where I’ve seen our students grow in our classrooms,” Shakira said in a video posted on X by Colombian news outlet La FM.
Her Fundación Pies Descalzos has worked in Chocó for 22 years and operates two schools that have educated hundreds of students.
“I really want to see it rebuild again,” Shakira said, turning her visit into a renewed commitment to education and recovery for children affected by the disaster.
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