AQ Interview: Shakira
AQ Interview: Shakira
Colombian singer Shakira Mebarak brings her advocacy for early childhood development to the stage and to government leaders in Latina America and around the world.
Americas Quarterly Since 2005, your philanthropic work has brought global attention to education and social responsibility through América Latina en Acción Solidaria (ALAS) and expansion of the Fundación Pies Descalzos (Barefoot Foundation). What would you like these foundations to achieve in the next five years?
Shakira: The goal of my philanthropic work has always been to make sure that every child has a chance to live up to his or her potential. That means our work won’t be done until every child has access to quality education from early childhood to adulthood. In the next five years, we will be focusing on lobbying our leaders to fulfill the promises of the Millennium Development Goals and provide critical funding for education everywhere. My hope is that every country in Latin America will make a significant commitment to supporting early childhood development programs.
In our on-the-ground work with the Barefoot Foundation, we are currently expanding our proven model of education worldwide. We’ve helped more than 30,000 children and families access education and nutrition in Colombia. For less than $2 per child per day, we can transform a child’s life with education.
We are already working closely with schools in the United States and South Africa and are in the process of building our first school in Haiti. I’m sure in a few years our Barefoot model will be recognized and implemented at an international level.
Access the full text of this interview at americasquarterly.org.
