5 questions about Shakira’s earthquake relief effort in Colombia

1. What happened?

Shakira made a surprise visit Monday to Quibdo, capital of Colombia’s Choco province, to tour schools damaged in last week’s earthquake and announce commitments to rebuild them. Her foundation, Fundacion Pies Descalzos, will partner with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to reconstruct 10 schools, and she pledged personal efforts toward rebuilding a damaged technological university in the region.

2. Why does this matter?

The Aug. 10 earthquake destroyed roughly 40 schools completely and affected hundreds more in Choco, one of Colombia’s poorest regions. Shakira emphasized that keeping children out of school for extended periods jeopardizes their futures, saying every day they miss class is a day they lose from their development.

3. Who is involved?

Shakira is leading the effort through her Barefoot Foundation, which has operated two schools in Choco for 22 years. She’s joined by Howard Buffett, son of billionaire Warren Buffett and a longtime donor to Colombian causes who has previously helped Shakira establish schools in the country. Additional funding pledges came from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund ($500,000), Live Nation ($500,000), and the CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean ($250,000).

4. How severe was the earthquake’s impact?

The 7.4 magnitude quake killed at least 287 people and destroyed more than 26,000 dwellings across western Colombia, with the government reporting 194 people missing (though civilian-run databases put that figure above 4,100). Choco was hit especially hard, with at least 3,100 homes destroyed in a province where most of the 600,000 residents, largely Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities, already lived in poverty.

5. What comes next?

Aid groups and officials are still assessing damage in Choco, a region roughly the size of Switzerland with limited roads and infrastructure, meaning full recovery efforts will take time. Shakira’s announcement adds to a wave of support from Latin American artists, including a Miami benefit concert featuring Marc Anthony and Chayanne, matched donations from Karol G, and an upcoming benefit concert in Bogota featuring Maluma and Sebastian Yatra.

For more on this report, read “Shakira makes surprise visit in earthquake-damaged Colombia and commits to rebuilding schools” from The Associated Press, published on The Washington Times.