\n<\/p>\n
\n\tShakira<\/a> made a surprise visit yesterday to Quibd\u00f3, the capital of the Colombian province of Choc\u00f3, where nearly 200 schools have reported damage following the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Aug. 10. During the visit, Shakira committed an initial $1.25 million to help rebuild 10 schools and a university via her charitable foundation. <\/p>\n \n\tThe Colombian singer toured several damaged schools and met with children. She was accompanied by Howard Buffett, son of billionaire philanthropist Warren Buffett and a longtime donor to Colombia<\/a> who has helped Shakira set up schools there before. <\/p>\n \n\tThe $1.25 million pledge brings together several partners: $500,000 from Shakira and\u00a0Live Nation; $500,000 from the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund; and $250,000 from CAF, the development bank of\u00a0Latin America\u00a0and the Caribbean. The funds will be channeled through Shakira\u2019s Fundaci\u00f3n Pies Descalzos (Barefoot Foundation), and will go toward rebuilding schools and getting children back into classrooms.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhat worries me the most is that schools are not rebuilt once this emergency is over,\u201d Shakira told journalists (via ABC<\/a>). \u201cEvery day that children don\u2019t go to school is a day they miss out on their future.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tShe added, \u201cIt\u2019s a place I love, a place where I\u2019ve seen our students grow in our classrooms. I really want to see it rebuilt again.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBuffett said of his participation, \u201cWhen she calls, I come.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShakira\u2019s foundation has operated in Choc\u00f3 for more than two decades and currently runs two schools in the region. She said she plans to dedicate her personal efforts to rebuilding a local technological university in the region. <\/p>\n