Look To The Stars News: Pies Descalzos

Obama Appoints Shakira To Education Advisory Commission

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Barack Obama has announced that Shakira has been appointed to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

“This is a tremendous honor for me,” the Colombian pop star told The Huffington Post. "I am humbled that my philanthropic experience could be helpful or that my voice can be used to amplify the message and work of the President and this Commission. Latino youth are the fastest-growing group in America, yet more Latino children are living in poverty—— 6.1 million in 2010 -- than children of any other racial or ethnic group.

“As I have seen in my own Foundation work, the only road out of poverty is education. For a host of reasons, Latino young people in this country disproportionately drop out of school and far too few finish college. Closing this gap will not only determine the economic future and competitiveness of this nation, but can serve as a model for the world. I am grateful to have an opportunity to support such important work.”

Shakira To Be Honored By Latin Recording Academy

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Three-time current Latin GRAMMY nominee, seven-time Latin GRAMMY winner, two-time GRAMMY winner, and international superstar and philanthropist Shakira will be the 2011 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, it was announced yesterday by The Latin Recording Academy.

Shakira, who is currently nominated for three Latin GRAMMY Awards, including Album Of The Year, will be honored for her renowned artistic and philanthropic contributions at a tribute dinner and star-studded concert on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Songs from Shakira’s still growing catalog will be performed by notable artists and friends of the honoree. A major portion of the net proceeds from the gala will benefit Shakira’s Pies Descalzos Foundation as well as The Latin Recording Academy’s Latin GRAMMY in the Schools educational efforts. The celebration will precede the 12th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on the Univision Network on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central.

Shakira Kicks Off New Soccer Charity Partnership

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Shakira was in Miami this week to launch a new partnership between her Pies Descalzos Foundation and the FC Barcelona Foundation.

The new Soccer for Youth Development and Healthy Living campaign will benefit more than 28,000 young people.

“It’s a great honor to be able to announce this alliance between the Pies Descalzos Foundation and the Fundacion Barcelona,” said Shakira at a press conference. "Education is the most efficient and speediest tool that can be used to change the destiny of a child and that of his or her family; even of the entire community. In Colombia – working with Maria Emma Mejia – we’ve seen children in vulnerable situations and living in extreme poverty who could have easily followed a path of violence or delinquency, and instead we’ve accompanied these same children from elementary school all the way to university, where they are now on their way to becoming graduates, professionals, and the pride of their community.

Shakira Blogs About Israel Trip

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:30:00 +0000

Shakira has blogged about her trip to Jerusalem last month, where she took part in the Israeli Presidential Conference.

“The afternoon of the conference, I visited the Max Rayne Jerusalem School, an inspirational place where half of the student population is Israeli and half Palestinian,” she wrote in the Huffington Post last week. "Students learn together, across all divides, speaking both Arabic and Hebrew, learning and playing together without difference. This visit reminded me, once again, that the most crucial decisions we can make for a better tomorrow concern how to raise and educate our children.

“I come from Colombia, a country that, like Israel, has experienced decades of bitter violence. I started Barefoot Foundation when I was 18 in an effort to help stop the cycle of brutality that I saw there. I was convinced that increasing access to education was one of the few options a country like Colombia had to win the battle against poverty and violence. The schools that Barefoot Foundation continues to build and operate in Colombia are now educating about 6,000 students. Our projects in Haiti and South Africa serve hundreds more.

Shakira's Recipe For A Better Tomorrow In Israel

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Shakira has been busy raising awareness of her charity, Pies Descalzos, in Europe lately, and has just announced that she will be heading to Israel next week to continue her mission of highlighting the importance of education around the world.

The Colombian singer was in Germany last week to talk with the German Development Ministry, who have agreed to support her Barefoot Foundation (Pies Descalzos) by donating to a school in the Colombian city of Cartagena for children from poor backgrounds.

“The German government is an example for other world powers to get involved in the issue of education,” she said. “Education is the key to eradicating poverty and for peace and global stability.”

Shakira Pledges $400,000 To School In Haiti

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Shakira was in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince last week to announce a $400,000 donation through her charity Pies Descalzos to help rebuild a school damaged by the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010.

The singer – who has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide – is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and created Pies Descalzos in 1995. The main goal of Pies Descalzos when it was established was to fund schools for poor children all over Colombia, but in 2008 she launched the charity globally.

The star was accompanied to the Haitian school by Luis Alberto Moreno, head of the Inter-American Development Bank, who will match the donation.

Shakira Pens Children's Book For Charity

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Shakira has put pen to paper and written a children’s book for charity.

The Colombian superstar has published a Dora The Explorer book titled World School Day Adventure, which will benefit the singer’s Pies Descalzos charity.

Shakira Makes Charity Deal For Education

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Colombian pop princess Shakira is donating the proceeds from a new commercial to her charity.

The singer was asked to tape a Christmas television ad for a Spanish sparkling wine, and agreed only if Freixenet – the company behind the ad – paid her Pies Descalzos foundation $660,000. As part of the deal, the company will also produce a video for Shakira’s “Sale el sol” and make a documentary about her charity. The money will be used to build a school in Haiti and another in Colombia.

Also known as the Barefoot Foundation, Pies Descalzos is dedicated to improving education, nutrition, and the lives of the thousands of displaced children living in perilous conditions because of the violent internal conflict in Colombia.

Shakira Speaks Up About Charity Campaign

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Shakira has voiced her support for the 1GOAL campaign and discussed the importance of education in achieving peace and global security during a wide-ranging interview with YouTube as part of the campaign’s YouTube Interviews series.

Shakira answered questions about her music and the World Cup, but focused mostly on her support for education and how her childhood in Colombia impacted her commitment to education campaigning.

2500 questions were submitted by YouTube viewers and voted on by 40,000 people. The top voted questions were posed to the songstress during the 30 minute interview. Shakira spent the majority of the interview discussing her support for 1GOAL and her own organization, Pies Descalzos.

Shakira Launches Charity T-Shirt Collection

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Spain’s second largest exporter of fashion, MANGO, is launching a small collection of solidarity t-shirts with Shakira, inspired by the official FIFA World Cup anthem “Waka Waka”.

The design of the t-shirts represents the spirit, vitality and energy of the host continent of the FIFA World Cup and profits from the sales of the “Waka Waka” t-shirt will be donated to initiatives for elementary education in South Africa.

One of the principal schools to receive the profits, which has the support of UNICEF, is the South Africa East Observatory School, which cares for children who have been orphaned or displaced by war. The school has around 560 children, 60% of whom are orphans due to civil war, while 20% have lost one of their parents as a result of the AIDS virus. This school offers a combination of a quality education with social support and a daily school nutrition program, reflecting the commitment of UNICEF and the Barefoot Foundation towards child nutrition and general education program. Once this project has been completed, any additional funds from this campaign will be donated to other school projects in South Africa.

Shakira Makes Charity Trip To Haiti

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Shakira is in Haiti to meet victims of the January 12 earthquake and help her charity build a school.

The Colombian pop princess met Sean Penn – who is also in the country helping victims – in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, as well as 100 children at the site of the proposed school. The school will be similar to others built by her charity, Pies Descalzos, and the singer believes it will be vital to rebuilding the lives of those affected.

“We’ve come to make all the preparations to be able to start the building of a school here in Haiti,” she said. “We need to think about the future of this country and of how Haiti’s children can be useful to their societies tomorrow… Education is one of the fundamental tools with which to develop and rebuild Haiti.”

Shakira Launches Charity T-Shirts

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Shakira has unveiled a range of new T-shirts she has designed for charity.

The Colombian singer has created a range of shirts featuring angels and guitars to raise money for her own charity, Pies Descalzos.

“She is someone who has always been connected with the idea of wings and angels,” said her publicist. “It’s a pretty design that people will like.”

Shakira Receives Charity Medal

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Shakira has once again received a medal from the U.N. labor agency for her charity work.

At a small ceremony Wednesday in Geneva, U.N. labor chief Juan Somavia called Shakira a “true ambassador for children and young people, for quality education and social justice.”

The 33-year-old Colombian pop star’s foundation, the Barefoot Foundation, provides nutrition to more than 6,000 children in Colombia. In addition to working as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, she is also member of the ALAS Foundation that advocates for children across Latin America.

Shakira To Talk Charity In Oxford

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Colombian star Shakira will give a talk in Oxford, UK, today – December 7 – about her charity work.

The singer will give the speech to the Oxford Union, the most famous debating society in the British university city.

Shakira is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and also founded Pies Descalzos to improve education, nutrition, and the lives of the thousands of displaced children living in perilous conditions because of the violent internal conflict in Colombia.

The Economist Awards Shakira For Charity Work

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

The Economist has named Shakira one of the most important people of 2010 for founding the charity Pies Descalzos – also known as The Barefoot Foundation – which focuses on education and health care for children in her native Colombia.

“It’s a great honor. I was quite surprised and humbled to see myself alongside the likes of President Obama,” she said of the award. “It is something I could have never imagined. Beyond the initial surprise though, I am so heartened and glad that such importance is being placed on the topic of education. This is a reflection that as individual people and members of civil societies, we can bring awareness to the rest of the world and call our governments to action on pressing issues, such as this one, that do not always receive the attention they merit.”

The 32-year-old singer recently wrote an article for The Economist urging world governments to support the Global Fund for Education. In part, she wrote:

Shakira's Charity To Open New School For Underprivileged Children

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

The charity for underprivileged children founded by Colombian pop star Shakira is to open its sixth special school in the singer’s native country.

The singer established Pies Descalzos in 1995 to improve education, nutrition, and the lives of the thousands of displaced children living in perilous conditions because of the violent internal conflict in Colombia

“We are going to open our sixth school,” said Shakira. "We provide an education and nutrition for over [6000 kids], in areas that have been devastated by extreme poverty. Colombia [has the second] largest amount of displaced people. We don’t have refugee camps but millions of people lost everything they had and kids don’t have access to an education.

Shakira Helps Bridge Educational Divide In Her Home Country

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Singer-songwriter Shakira visited a school funded by her charity, Fondacion Pies Descalzos, in the Colombian province of Chocó late last week.

The trip to the remote, poverty stricken location marks Shakira’s continued presence in the effort to create educational opportunities for disadvantaged children in her home country.

Chocó, a Department of Colombia located in the western part of the country, is situated in a dense rainforest environment. Largely isolated from the rest of the nation, it is one of the Departments of Columbia with the worst living conditions for human life. Internal strife amongst the Colombian military, the local paramilitaries, and FARC guerillas has often left citizens caught in the crosshairs of what is often a violent conflict, and has caused three million people to flee their homes. As a result, Colombia is the country with the second largest population of displaced people in the world, after Sudan.

Shakira Pens Article On Humanitarian Inspiration

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Colombian pop star Shakira has written an article in the latest edition of Newsweek detailing the inspiration of her humanitarian work.

The 31-year-old has written candidly about how her parents sent her to stay with family friends in Los Angeles when she was seven following her father’s bankruptcy.

“We had gone from being middle class to poor almost overnight, and from my 7-year-old child’s perspective it was hard to imagine anything worse”, she wrote. “I can still viscerally remember the seeming desperation of that moment.”

Shakira Reveals Global Charity Plans

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Colombian pop star Shakira’s charity is to go global by the end of the year.

The 31-year-old established Pies Descalzos to improve education, nutrition, and the lives of the thousands of displaced children living in perilous conditions because of the violent internal conflict in Colombia. Speaking at an Earth Institute meeting with South American leaders at America’s Columbia University on Wednesday, she said, “For less than $2 a day, we can provide a kid with top quality education and the nutrition that they need to be able to function and be able to learn, because a kid with an empty stomach cannot learn… This model that has been so successful in my country, I now want to bring it to other countries in my small way.”

She also urged Latin American presidents to include the development of children during the next Ibero-American summit to be held in El Salvador.

Shakira Wins Humanitarian Award

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Colombian pop star Shakira proved hips don’t lie when she received an ALMA award on Sunday for the humanitarian work she has been doing for Latin America’s impoverished children.

The American Latino Media Arts awards – hosted by Eva Longoria – celebrated the achievements of Latin American performers, with accolades going to America Ferrera, Linda Ronstadt, and Charlie Sheen.

Shakira, who is a UNICEF Ambassador and recently took part in concerts to bring a stop to civil unrest in Colombia, received the award for her work to improve the lives of children in Colombia and Latin America.

Shakira's Auction A Success

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:05:25 +0000

The auction of Shakira’s clothes that we reported on earlier this week was a resounding success, with over $76,000 raised for the Pies Descalzos Foundation.

The money raised will be distributed through the singer’s Bare Feet campaign, and will be used to build a school for needy children in Northern Colombia.

Several items attracted high bids, with a lavender skirt going for $1,000, and a custom-made bra reaching $3,000. But the most sought after item was VIP tickets, including a meet-and-greet, to Shakira’s upcoming concert in Toronto, which sold for $14,000.

Shakira Sheds Threads For Charity

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:11:47 +0000

Although the Northern Hemisphere is still gripped with winter chills, it has not stopped some celebrities from shedding their clothes… for a good cause, of course.

Latin American pop princess Shakira leads the pack by donating more than 40 items of clothing from her 2007 Oral Fixation Tour to a massive internet auction.

There is an impressive list of garments from the hip-shaking performer’s wardrobe, including a lavender skirt with turqoise and coral beading and a blue tank top emblazoned with the words “For Those Who Love To Rock”. And the demand has been overwhelming, with one dress attracting bids of $10,000, and a custom-made bra reaching $1,126.

Bono's Fishy T-Shirt Benefits African Farmers

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:41:00 +0000

Bono has designed a new T-shirt for charity, joining a host of other celebrities in an on-going and major charity campaign.

The 47-year-old singer from U2 is the 25th artist to design a shirt for Hard Rock Café’s Signature Series clothing line, an initiative started in 1990 as a way for musicians to raise money for charities of their choice. Sales from the shirts have raised over $6 million for a variety of causes.

Bono’s creation, available for $26 from the Hard Rock website, features his stylized drawing of a fish soaring past the moon, and is adorned with the words “Fish Can Fly”, as well as his signature. 15% of the proceeds will go to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Conservation Cotton initiative – a scheme designed to lift African farmers out of poverty by providing education on proper land management, organic cotton growing techniques, and wildlife conservation. The shirts will also support the trade for aid ethos of EDUN, the conscious consumerism fashion label founded by Bono and his wife in 2005, by being made from 100% African cotton and manufactured by African garment workers.

2007 - The Year The Stars Gave Back

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:11:14 +0000

2007 was a year of giving, both on grand and not-so-grand scales. Celebrities from all fields, be it movies, music, sport or general entertainment, showed compassion beyond the call of duty, and in most cases had a lot of fun doing it.

Without a doubt, one of the biggest events of the year was Live Earth in July, where stars new and old shone in all of the corners of the Earth to raise awareness of the plight of the planet. The shows were generally well-received, and led to organizer Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

But celebrities also participated in smaller, more personal acts of kindness in 2007. Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Melissa Gilbert, and Michael Douglas all donated their time to feed the hungry at the Los Angeles Mission, Fran Drescher launched the Cancer Schmancer Movement, and Ewan McGregor visited UNICEF projects during his epic motorcycle trip across Africa.

Shakira’s $40m Gift

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:31:00 +0000

Colombian pop singer, Shakira, announced recently at Bill Clinton’s conference, Clinton Global Initiative, that Latin America in Solidarity Action (ALAS) is donating $40 million dollars towards relief efforts in Peru and Nicaragua.

Ica, Chincha and Pisco were the regions in Peru hardest hit by an earthquake last August. Hundreds of people were killed and over a thousand injured. A state of emergency was declared initially, as well as a request for medicine, blankets, tents and any other help that could be given in South America’s coldest season.

ALAS’s donations are providing shelter and basic necessities to over 37,000 people. Additionally, donations provide psychological and social support, oversee the supply and quality of water, and work with the community in rebuilding structures.