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letter from Shakira

Welcome,

Thank you for all your support and love! As an artist, I am constantly looking for new challenges and ways to express myself. One way is through my music - another is by giving back and doing what I can to make our world a better place.

I want to share with you an issue that I am very passionate about. I believe that every child should have the right to follow their dreams and get an education. Growing up in Colombia, I saw that education can be a child's way out of poverty and a way to fulfill his or her potential. It is a basic right, but too often poor children are shut out.

Globally, 72 million children don't attend primary school and another 226 million aren't in secondary school. In addition, hundreds of millions of children attend some inadequate version of school but can't access the type of quality education that they really need to succeed...either the teachers don't consistently show up or there aren't enough books or the kids are too hungry to focus on their lessons.

We know how to address this. Governments must abolish school fees, hire more qualified teachers and provide textbooks and meals in schools. Most important, they must decide that a child's poverty is not an excuse - that they will educate all children regardless of what family or neighborhood they are born into. And they must prioritize education funding in their budgets.

All I have to do is close my eyes and I can imagine the faces of the homeless children that lived in my neighborhood when I was a little girl. They had no hope. Many of them sniffed glue or took drugs to forget the hunger and the cold. But I have also seen how education can alter the course of a child's life forever.

Check out some of these links to learn more about education and how you can help. It's amazing how much difference each person can make, so I hope you will join me in supporting every child's right to a quality education!

Besos,
Shakira

barefoot foundationnews

Saturday, April 14, 2012 / 1:21 am

Shakira's speech from Friday's conference to promote Early Childhood Development policies

Shakira's speech from Friday's conference to promote Early Childhood Development policies with the private sector (please click CC for English subtitles)

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Friday, April 13, 2012 / 11:17 am

Primero lo Primero initiative launches

The Mario Santo Domingo Foundation-FMSD-, the ALAS Foundation, the Barefoot Foundation and aeioTu – Carulla Foundation have created an unprecedented alliance, to support early childhood in Colombia.

As part of the Cero a Siempre (Zero to Always) strategy, Primero lo Primero (First Things First) is a public-private partnership to build, equip and operate 13 new early childhood development centers in different regions of Colombia, which will be serving over 5,920 children.

This initiative was born thanks to the significant contributions of the Ministry of Education and the ICBF and commitment of the Mario Santo Domingo Foundation- FMSD-, the ALAS Foundation, the Barefoot Foundation and aeioTu – Carulla Foundation and 30 public and private institutions.

The partnership was launched at an event yesterday that featured Shakira, Alejandro Santo Domingo and Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, First Lady of the nation.

Said Shakira: "With Primero lo Primero, we begin to realize the dream of guaranteeing the basic nutrition, education, health and early learning for our children in Colombia in the early years of life, the most crucial to their future. With this alliance we confirm that the best social work is done when the private sector decides to join the public sector to maximize resources and efforts,” stressed Shakira, Founder and Honorary President of the Barefoot Foundation, Founder and activist of the ALAS Foundation.

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Friday, April 13, 2012 / 10:31 am

First ALAS-IDB Awards takes place

The first ALAS-IDB Awards took place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia yesterday, with 700 people and institutions nominated for excellence in early childhood development.

Martha Ivette Rivera Mexican Alanis won the ALAS-IDB award for Best Teacher; the book "Antonia" of the Colombian author Paula Mejia Maria and illustrator Paula Dufour of Argentina won the award for Best Publication; the Colombian foundation Fundamor won the award for Best Center; and the Brazilian NGO Saúde Criança won the award for Best Innovation.

The awards were presented by the founder of ALAS, Shakira; the president of ALAS, Alejandro Santo Domingo; and the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno.

After the awards, Moreno said: "The best way to change the future of a person is through early childhood development. Investments in early childhood have higher return than at any other time of life. So the IDB and the ALAS foundation have joined forces in promoting quality early childhood development. "

Meanwhile, Shakira said: "This ceremony is a good opportunity for us to recognize and replicate initiatives of high quality child development in Latin America. It is urgent to further expand the
commitment of governments and agencies to provide early childhood and all our children the opportunities they deserve. I hope these awards are a good incentive to make further efforts to align and advance the goal of optimal living conditions for our children in Latin America."

Click here to read An Interview with Shakira: Global Advocate for Early Childhood Development and Education at Forbes.com

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The Pies Descalzos Foundation was founded 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.

The Barefoot Foundation is a U.S. non-profit, non-governmental organization created by internationally acclaimed recording artist and humanitarian Shakira.

Education is the key to a better world for everyone, not just underprivileged children. Education includes not just books and facts; it is also social and emotional growth. We help children exercise their basic right to an education, paving the way for their growth in society.

ALAS Foundation is a nonprofit organization created by the most prominent Latin American artists, business leaders and intellectuals to mobilize Latin-American society towards the implementation of integrated early childhood public policies.

9 million Latin American children younger than 5 years old suffer of chronic malnutrition and 22 million don't have access to education. Malnutrition and the absence of care in the early stages of life are the main mechanisms for the transmission of inequality. This is why experts agree that early childhood development is one of the most effective tools to end with the intergenerational cycle of poverty.

As Unicef's 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.