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Shakira, Global Citizen, Live Nation and CAF Commit $1.25 Million to Rebuild Schools in Colombia Following Earthquake

In the wake of the powerful earthquake that struck Colombia last week, an international coalition has stepped forward with an initial pledge of $1.25 million to rebuild damaged schools. The group includes the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, Live Nation, and CAF (the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean). This move echoes a similar relief initiative launched after seismic destruction in Venezuela a year earlier, pointing to a growing pattern of regional solidarity during emergencies. While the funding represents just a first step, organizers have indicated that additional contributions are likely as the full extent of the destruction becomes apparent. The announcement came on the heels of a Monday visit to Quibdó by Shakira, the Colombian singer-songwriter whose 2010 FIFA World Cup anthem "Waka Waka" cemented her international stardom. She was joined by Howard Buffett, the philanthropist whose Howard G. Buffett Foundation has poured $340 million into Colombian development projects since 2008, as well as representatives from CAF and Fundación Pies Descalzos—the charity Shakira established in 1997 to support vulnerable children. The delegation met with Chocó’s Governor, Nubia Carolina Córdoba, and Quibdó’s Mayor, Rafael Bolaños, to assess the damage firsthand. The initial package breaks down as $500,000 from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, a matching $500,000 from Live Nation, and $250,000 from CAF, with Fundación Pies Descalzos—which has worked in the Chocó region for over two decades—coordinating reconstruction alongside local authorities and school communities. Notably, Quibdó, the capital of one of Colombia’s poorest departments, has long grappled with infrastructural deficits, making this intervention especially timely. For context, Chocó is a Pacific coastal region with a predominantly Afro-Colombian population, where poverty rates exceed 60%, and access to basic services like clean water and electricity remains inconsistent. The scale of the devastation is sobering: in Chocó alone, 40 schools have completely collapsed, while 3,207 educational facilities have been affected nationwide. Shakira, visibly moved by what she witnessed, made an urgent appeal for global support. "These past few days, I’ve watched my country suffer, but I’ve also watched people come together with the resilience and solidarity that has always defined us," she said. "Schools are more than buildings. They give children the stability and routine they need most after a disaster. That’s why we’re making an initial $1.25 million commitment to help rebuild schools and get children back into their classrooms. Chocó is not alone. Colombia is not alone. And we will keep going." Her words underscore a critical principle in disaster response: restoring educational spaces is often the linchpin of psychological and social recovery for young survivors. Experts in post-disaster reconstruction frequently warn that prolonged school closures can deepen trauma and widen educational disparities, particularly in already marginalized areas like Chocó, where the student-to-teacher ratio is already among the highest in the country. Beyond the school rebuilding effort, Shakira has personally committed to supporting the reconstruction of the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó Diego Luis Córdoba, the department’s primary public university, which also suffered structural damage. "This university is where most of our Pies Descalzos graduates continue their higher education," she explained. "Rebuilding it means protecting the path those young people have already begun." The singer has also called on the governments of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and Japan to contribute to the broader recovery, a request that highlights the necessity of international cooperation in addressing natural disasters. Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of Global Citizen, emphasized the importance of rapid action: "When disaster strikes, getting children safely back into classrooms is essential to helping communities recover. Shakira and Fundación Pies Descalzos have spent decades supporting children in Colombia, and we’re proud that the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund can stand alongside them and the people of Chocó at this moment. This is an initial commitment, and we hope it will encourage others to join the recovery effort." CAF’s executive president, Sergio Díaz Granados, stressed the institution’s long-term outlook, stating, "At CAF, we reaffirm our commitment to Chocó and to all of Colombia in the most difficult moments. Education is the pillar of recovery and sustainable development, which is why we support this joint effort with Shakira, Fundación Pies Descalzos and Global Citizen. Our initial contribution of $250,000 is only the first step of a commitment that must be lasting, because communities are rebuilt through the constant work of all public and private actors. At CAF, we will continue mobilizing resources so that the children of Colombia can safely return to their classrooms." Research on disaster recovery consistently shows that the speed of educational reinstatement is closely linked to a region’s long-term economic resilience, making this early funding a crucial anchor for Chocó’s future. As reconstruction gets underway, the partnership aims to galvanize further support from both public and private sources worldwide, with hopes of expanding the aid scope in the months ahead. For reference, the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria demonstrated that early educational investment reduced dropout rates by up to 30% in affected zones, a model that organizers here are keen to replicate.

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