Shakira announced on Friday that the Global Citizen Education Fund from FIFA, of which she is the spokesperson and a member of the advisory board, will allocate $500,000 to support organizations in Venezuela that are working with children whose education was disrupted by the devastating earthquakes on June 24.
The Colombian singer made the announcement through a video posted on Instagram, in which she explained the purpose of the donation and called for action from both local organizations and international political leaders.
"I am proud to share that the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund will allocate $500,000 to support organizations in Venezuela that help children whose education has been disrupted by this terrible tragedy," the artist stated in the video.
Shakira invited local Venezuelan organizations to request funding to facilitate the return of children and teachers to the classrooms and to restore access to education in the affected areas.
The artist also directly addressed several heads of state and government to join the initiative: the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luís Montenegro; the President of France, Emmanuel Macron; and the Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz.
He pointed out that Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, had already taken "a step forward" in support of the campaign, and expressed his hope that other leaders would follow suit.
"If you believe that all children deserve the opportunity to dream, join this effort," Shakira concluded, also inviting her followers to contribute with donations.
The announcement comes at a critical moment for Venezuela. The double earthquake measuring 7.2 and 7.5 that struck the northern part of the country on June 24 is the worst seismic disaster in the area in over 126 years, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Both earthquakes occurred just 39 seconds apart and primarily devastated the state of La Guaira, north of Caracas, where hundreds of residential buildings collapsed.
The death toll from the double earthquake had risen as of Friday to 2,645 dead and more than 12,600 injured according to official figures from the Venezuelan government, although the UN estimates that there could be up to 50,000 missing, a figure that far exceeds what the authorities have acknowledged.
The doubts about the actual numbers of deaths and missing persons have increased in recent days, with citizen platforms like "Encuéntralos" recording over 71,000 people unaccounted for.
The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund is an initiative linked to the 2026 World Cup —which will be held in Canada, the United States, and Mexico— aimed at raising 100 million dollars to expand access to education and football for children in over 200 countries. So far, it has raised 47 million.
Shakira has a prior commitment to the fund: she will donate 100% of the profits from "Dai Dai," her official World Cup song featuring Burna Boy, and one dollar for every ticket sold on her tour in the United States.
The international response to the disaster has been extensive: more than 33 countries sent rescuers and the United States increased its aid to over 300 million dollars, doubling the initial commitment announced by the Trump administration.
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