Despite being away from her hometown of Barranquilla for an extended period and not making many appearances in her home country, Shakira once again demonstrated her affection for the city and her dedication to children’s welfare on Saturday, September 16th, 2023. The singer has been supporting children through her Barefoot Foundation for many years, and on this occasion, she generously donated millions of dollars towards their future.
The day had been marked for the grand unveiling of the ‘Institucion Educativa Distrital Nuevo Bosque Pies Descalzos’, which was funded by various organizations, including the Mayor’s Office of Barranquilla, the La Caixa Foundation, the Barcelona Foundation, and the LCI Educational Foundation. However, to everyone’s surprise, Shakira made an appearance with her sons Milan and Sasha Piqué.
Excitement filled the air when news spread that the recipient of the prestigious ‘Michael Jackson, Video Vanguard Award 2023’ had arrived on location. The mood was infectious as the awardee interacted with the press and shared memorable moments with admirers who expressed heartfelt gratitude for her support towards a community that faced significant economic and social challenges.
Shakira has made significant contributions to various regions of her homeland, Colombia, through the Pies Descalzos Foundation. The foundation has already funded several schools, and this time around, the school in Barranquilla received over 16,000 million Colombian pesos, which is equivalent to more than four million dollars or nearly three million 900,000 euros. The singer’s foundation played a crucial role in this investment by donating an impressive 57,000 million pesos, equating to almost one and a half million dollars or more than one million 300,000 dollars.
The educational institution boasts numerous amenities, including 22 standard classrooms, four pre-school rooms, art studios, laboratories, a library, a cafeteria, a kitchen, sports grounds, and other communal areas for the local children. During her speech, the celebrity acknowledged this impressive undertaking, emphasizing that despite the prevailing difficulties and crises in certain areas of Colombia, the project was far from ordinary.
The impact of building schools goes beyond just providing education. According to Shakira, it transforms the entire community as the infrastructure helps the population grow and surrounding services develop. She wants to continue making such contributions and encourage others to join her in developing villages and communities in difficult conditions. Her call to action extends to the government and private sector to donate and contribute towards building more schools in places such as Quibdo, Barranquilla, Tibu, and La Guajira. Let’s work together towards creating more opportunities for those in need.
During an event supported by the Barcelona Foundation, Shakira opened up about her personal life and the changes she’s gone through in the last year. Despite rumors and speculation surrounding her separation from Pique, it’s clear that social work is a priority for her. In a relaxed and calm manner, Shakira shared that life is a continuous cycle of addition and subtraction, with people leaving and new spaces and energies opening up. She acknowledged that the past year has been challenging for her both personally and professionally, but felt compensated by her fans’ support.
During an event, Milan and Sasha Pique were spotted hanging out with Shakira on one of the sports fields at Nuevo Bosque Pies Descalzos District Educational Institution. The Barranquilla artist showed up to spend some time with them and play some soccer, further proving that she wants to keep moving forward in her career. She even mentioned this in her response to reporters. Shakira’s unexpected appearance, along with the contributions made by her foundation, the mayor’s office of Barranquilla, and other international organizations, demonstrated the significant impact and influence that a public figure like her has in Colombia. It was heartwarming to see the outpouring of love and appreciation for the talented artist.