The Pies Descalzos Foundation was born in Barranquilla, located on the Colombian Caribbean coast, during the late 90’s when Shakira, only 18 years old at the time, decided to take up the social duty of collaborating on efforts to improve the education, nutrition and health of the most vulnerable: THE CHILDREN.

The organization consists of support programs for children and their families and offers real solutions to increase quality of life and give these kids and their families the opportunity to exercise their right to an education, which will later determine their growth and development in society.

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Barefoot Foundation is a non-profit organization based in the United States created by Shakira. Barefoot utilizes the successful model created by The Pies Descalzos Foundation to assure that all kids are able to exercise their right to an education and proper nutrition, thereby establishing a better quality of life.

Barefoot advocates for universal, accessible, and sustainable education; just as it wishes to make political leaders and the general population aware of the importance of supporting pre-education policies.

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ALAS is a non-profit organization created to mobilize Latin-American society towards the implementation of integrated early childhood public policies, so that every child from zero to six years old has access to health plans, education and nutrition. .

Latin America has 54 million children age 5 and under and no less than 32 million of them are currently living in poverty. A catalyst for change, ALAS will work to improve the children's lives by creating a social movement that delivers effective health, education and nutritional programs during their most influential years of development through comprehensive Early Childhood Development.

As a Goodwill Ambassador, Shakira has advocated for the importance of establishing political initiatives that put an end to the higher number of children without access to education. According to the international institution, UNICEF, over 120 million children around the world are without any formal education or schooling.

“Fifty years ago, UNICEF was the first global organization to utilize the power of celebrity to inform the public on actions and social causes that UNICE defends” declared Executive Director of UNICEF, Carol Bellamy after making public the nomination of the Baranquilla native. She further added, “Shakira, like all our Goodwill Ambassadors, was chosen based on her compassion, her involvement in global issues, and her deep commitment to helping children, and her appeal to young people around the world. We’re very pleased to have Shakira join the UNICEF family. I know she’ll help bring UNICEF’s mission to the audience who will have the most impact on our future – young people themselves”

As Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, Shakira visited Bangladesh a month after Cyclone Sydr, where she witnessed first hand the human devastation caused by the cyclone. Shakira also participated in Global Education Week in DC.