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Shakira pledges school rebuilding aid during surprise visit to quake-hit Colombia

Colombian singer Shakira announced Monday she will help rebuild at least 10 schools and a local university in Chocó, Colombia, following a devastating earthquake that killed at least 287 people. She was accompanied by Howard Buffett, whose foundation will partner with hers on reconstruction. Pledges of $500,000 each from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation, plus $250,000 from CAF, were also announced. Shakira also joined a benefit concert in Bogotá scheduled for this Sunday.

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 distinct · 2 mastheads · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Aug 18, 2026 Published 3d ago

A Surprise Visit to Chocó

Colombian superstar Shakira pledged Monday to help rebuild at least 10 schools and restore a local university in a remote, hard-hit region of her home country, during a surprise visit to Quibdó, the capital of the province of Chocó. The 4 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 10 struck a vast swath of western Colombia, killing at least 287 people and destroying more than 26,000 dwellings, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The government has said 194 people are missing.

Shakira toured damaged schools in the area, hugging students and taking photos with them, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "What worries me most is that children don't have classrooms to return to," she said in comments carried by the outlet.

The Pledge and Partners

Shakira announced she will help rebuild at least 10 schools in the regionton. The Howard G. Buffett Foundation will collaborate with her Fundación Pies Descalzos on the reconstruction effort, according to Barchart. Howard Buffett, son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett, accompanied Shakira during her visit. "When she calls, I come," Buffett said, as reported by Barchart.

Shakira also pledged to restore a local technological university. The singer announced pledges of $500,000 each from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation, and $250,000 from CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Context of the Disaster

Chocó is one of Colombia's poorest regions, with most of its 600,000 inhabitants living in poverty, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The earthquake has exacerbated the region's challenges, leaving thousands homeless and damaging educational infrastructure.

This is not the first time Shakira has responded to natural disasters in the region. Following twin earthquakes in Venezuela in June, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund committed $500,000 to education recovery efforts there, as reported by Barchart.

Shakira recently performed at the World Cup final match in July and before a crowd of 2 million on Copacabana Beach in May, according to reports.

A note on the initial coverage: an earlier version of this story said Shakira would build 10 new schools, but she has clarified the commitment is to rebuild 10 existing schools, not construct new ones, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Broader Relief Efforts

Shakira's visit is part of a broader wave of celebrity support for earthquake victims. Marc Anthony and Chayanne joined other artists at a Miami benefit concert and live fundraiser for both countries affected by recent earthquakes, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Colombian singer Karol G pledged to match fan donations during her three-night run at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and Shakira is scheduled to perform alongside Maluma and other artists at a benefit concert in Bogotá this Sunday, according to Barchart.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the full extent of damage to educational infrastructure, and rebuilding efforts are expected to take months. The partnership between Shakira's foundation and the Buffett foundation signals a long-term commitment to the region's recovery.

How each outlet told it

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Framing: Shakira makes surprise visit in earthquake-damaged Colombia and commits to building new schools

as of Aug 18, 2026, 8:35 AM UTC

Facts Included:

Shakira announced Monday that she will help rebuild at least 10 schools and restore a local university in a remote and hard-hit region of her home country
The earthquake struck last week, killing at least 287 people and destroying more than 26,000 dwellings
The government has said 194 people are missing
Shakira was accompanied by Howard Buffett, son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett
The Howard G. Buffett foundation will collaborate with Shakira's Fundación Pies Descalzos on reconstructing the 10 schools
The singer announced pledges of $500,000 each from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation and $250,000 from CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
The 7.4 magnitude quake on Aug. 10 struck a vast swath of western Colombia
Chocó is one of Colombia's poorest regions, with most of its 600,000 inhabitants living in poverty
Shakira said in a video posted on X by the Colombian news outlet La FM
An earlier correction stated Shakira committed to building 10 new schools, not rebuilding 10 schools
Marc Anthony and Chayanne joined dozens of other artists at a Miami benefit concert and live fundraiser for both countries' earthquake relief
Colombian singer Karol G pledged to match fan donations to her Con Cora Foundation during her three-night run at SoFi Stadium
She will also join Maluma, Sebastián Yatra and others at a benefit concert in Bogotá this Sunday
After Venezuela’s twin earthquakes in June, Shakira announced the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund would commit $500,000 to education recovery there
Shakira recently headlined the halftime show of the World Cup final match in July and performed in May on Brazil’s Copacabana Beach to a crowd of 2 million

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Barchart

Framing: Highlights Shakira's surprise visit and her commitment to rebuilding schools in earthquake-damaged Colombia. — Supportive and appreciative, highlighting celebrity philanthropy and relief efforts.

as of Aug 18, 2026, 8:31 AM UTC

Facts Included:

Shakira announced Monday she will help rebuild at least 10 schools and restore a local university in Chocó, Colombia.
The 7.4 magnitude quake on Aug. 10 struck western Colombia, killing at least 287 people and destroying more than 26,000 dwellings.
Shakira was accompanied by Howard Buffett, son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett.
The Howard G. Buffett foundation will collaborate with Shakira's Fundación Pies Descalzos on reconstructing the 10 schools.
Shakira announced pledges of $500,000 each from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation and $250,000 from CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Shakira performed in May on Brazil’s Copacabana Beach to a crowd of 2 million.
After Venezuela’s twin earthquakes in June, Shakira announced the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund would commit $500,000 to education recovery there.
On Sunday, Marc Anthony and Chayanne joined dozens of other artists at a Miami benefit concert for both countries' earthquake relief.
Colombian singer Karol G pledged to match fan donations to her Con Cora Foundation during her three-night run at SoFi Stadium last weekend.
Karol G will join Maluma, Sebastián Yatra and others at a benefit concert in Bogotá this Sunday.
An earlier correction stated Shakira committed to building 10 new schools, not rebuilding 10 schools; she and Buffett are helping reconstruct the schools, not building new ones.

Read the source article →

Transparency & Audit Trail

1 distinct · 2 mastheads · 2 articles consulted: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Barchart Version 1 Written 2026-08-28