Philanthropy

In 1997, at only 18 years old, she founded the Barefoot Foundation, which is known in the Latin American community as Pies Descalzos. This foundation aims to provide education and nutrition to impoversished children in Colombia. The movement has thus expanded to other areas of the globe such as Haiti and South Africa. She also received an award from president Obama for he outreach.

In 2006, Shakira founded ALAS, a regional foundation based in Panama, which has a focus on early childhood and pregnancy.

In October of 2003, Shakira was named a goodwill ambassador for Unicef. She is an artist who takes interest in the planet and those in it who are less fortunate than others. She also believe that by being the artist she is, she has a bigger opportunity to spread awareness on the issues that this world is currently facing.