Renowned Colombian singer Shakira made an unexpected visit to Chocó province, one of the areas hardest hit by the devastating earthquake that struck Colombia last week, pledging support for rebuilding schools and helping children return to education.

One week after a devastating earthquake struck, leaving 287 people dead and thousands injured, reconstruction has begun in Colombia.

Shakira, the renowned Colombian-born singer, visited Chocó province, where she pledged to help rebuild at least 10 schools damaged by the earthquake, as well as restore a local technological university.

Shakira visited several of the affected schools, met with students and teachers, and stressed the importance of getting children back into classrooms as quickly as possible.

“There is no way to immediately ease the pain of so many people, but there is a commitment to stand by the residents of Chocó and not abandon this region,” Shakira said.

As part of this initiative, the singer is working with Howard Buffett, the son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett and an early donor to education projects in Colombia, to rebuild 10 schools in the region.

The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation have each pledged $500,000, while the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean has contributed $250,000. These funds will be used to repair schools and create suitable conditions for the learning process.

Aid for the earthquake-affected areas has also received support from other Latin American artists, including Marc Anthony, Karol G, Maluma and Sebastián Yatra, who have taken part in concerts and charity events to raise funds for Colombia and Venezuela.

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