Shakira started her education foundation at 20 and has helped 300 schools

In Colombia, a school can mean more than a place to attend lessons. For families living in neighbourhoods where public services and safe facilities have been limited, the condition of a classroom can shape a child's daily life. Shakira began directing her attention towards education early in her music career, establishing a charitable foundation in 1997, when she was 20. The work eventually extended beyond individual donations to the construction of schools in communities where children had few suitable places to learn. Nearly three decades later, her education initiative remains part of her public work, with the wider school-building effort associated with hundreds of educational facilities and thousands of students across Colombia.Shakira’s education mission began with a foundation for Colombia’s underserved childrenShakira's involvement in education dates back to 1997, when she established the Pies Descalzos Foundation (Barefoot Foundation). Born in Barranquilla on Colombia's Caribbean coast, the singer was still in the early stages of her rise to international fame. Her charitable work developed alongside her music career, with a particular emphasis on children who faced barrie...