Shakira and Warren Buffett’s son announce rebuilding of schools in Chocó
Shakira and Warren Buffett's Son Announce School Rebuilding in Chocó After Earthquake
Poinews.com – Shakira and Warren Buffett's son have formally pledged to rebuild schools across Colombia's Chocó department following a catastrophic earthquake that struck the region on 10 August 2026. The Barranquilla-born singer confirmed the initiative on Monday, one week after the tremor, outlining plans to reconstruct the Technological University of Chocó along with approximately ten additional non-university learning centres situated in one of the five departments most severely affected by the disaster.
The Quake and Its Human Toll
The earthquake's epicentre was located in San José del Palmar, yet its force rippled outward across multiple departments, including Valle del Cauca and Risaralda. According to the latest figures published by Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), the event has killed 287 people, injured 4,147, and left 194 individuals missing. Schools, roads, and critical infrastructure across the affected zones sustained extensive damage, prompting an urgent call for coordinated reconstruction at scale.
Funding the Reconstruction: Global Citizen and Live Nation
Rather than directing funds personally, Shakira has structured the financial support through two established partners. The advocacy organisation Global Citizen will contribute 500,000 dollars (approximately €432,250), while concert promoter Live Nation — the company that produced her recent "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" tour and serves as her commercial partner — will match that amount at her direction. Together, the two contributions total one million dollars earmarked exclusively for the rebuilding effort.
On the ground, Shakira will work alongside Howard Graham Buffett, the middle son of billionaire Warren Buffett, who has led the Pies Descalzos Foundation for twenty years. The foundation has already constructed numerous educational facilities across Colombia. Howard secured Colombian citizenship in 2021 under President Iván Duque, after investing more than 160 million dollars in infrastructure and social projects in the Catatumbo region, including road reconstruction, illicit-crop substitution, and demining operations. His family's multi-billion-dollar portfolio spans companies such as Apple, Coca-Cola, and American Express.
"Howard is going to help us, through [the Pies Descalzos Foundation], to build ten new schools in Chocó; that's why it was so important to bring him, that's why it was so important to come today." — Shakira
Those remarks were made during a joint visit by Shakira and Buffett to Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, where they met with local government officials and community leaders to assess structural damage and coordinate immediate next steps.
FIFA Education Fund and the 2026 World Cup
The Chocó announcement extends a broader commitment Shakira made in October 2025, when she joined the advisory board of an education fund operated jointly by FIFA and Global Citizen. Fellow board members include tennis champion Serena Williams, musician The Weeknd, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino. That appointment preceded the public confirmation of her role as a performer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by several months. Shakira has pledged that all royalty income generated by the tournament's official anthem, "Dai Dai," will flow directly into the same education fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools will be rebuilt in Chocó? Shakira and Warren Buffett's son have committed to reconstructing the Technological University of Chocó plus roughly ten additional non-university learning centres, for a combined total of approximately eleven educational facilities.
Who is providing the funding? Global Citizen will contribute 500,000 dollars and Live Nation will match that sum, bringing the total to one million dollars. Shakira coordinates the effort but does not channel the money directly through her