Shakira posted an emotional message on her Instagram account to bid farewell to the Ghetto Kids, the group of Ugandan child dancers who accompanied her during the halftime show of the 2026 World Cup final, and she confessed that the days spent with them left an unexpected mark on her.
The Colombian singer's post on Instagram garnered over three million likes and more than 41,000 comments within just a few hours, a response that reflects the impact the story of these children has had on millions of people around the world.
In the text, Shakira revealed that she took the little ones to the beach for the first time in their lives and that they spent several days together surrounded by family and friends. "These past few days have been filled with an indescribable love," the artist wrote, describing how the children "transform every place they go and touch every person they meet."
The farewell was not easy. “It was very difficult to say goodbye to you, because you know how to give and receive love in a way I had never seen before,” Shakira acknowledged, adding that that experience reminded them “of the miracle that happens when we let our guard down and open our hearts.”
What stood out the most was the depth of the bond that the artist described with these eight children from Katwe, a marginalized neighborhood in Kampala, Uganda. "Even though you are from another continent, live in a different culture, and speak another language, I now love you as if you were my own children," wrote Shakira, before mentioning each one by name: Ivan, Ricky, Joseph, Brighton, Kesha, Jojo, Ciara, and Ketra.
The message concluded with a reflection that went beyond a personal farewell: "Children come into this world through their mothers and fathers, but they are the responsibility of all of us and belong to all of us."
The photographs that accompanied the post depict scenes of genuine warmth: the children embracing Shakira in an apartment with outdoor views, playing together in the water, and smiling with the spontaneity typical of their age.
The Ghetto Kids are a group founded in 2007 by Dauda Kavuma, who started by collecting children from the streets of Kampala to provide them with shelter, food, and education. Many of its members are orphans or come from extremely vulnerable situations.
This is not the first time Shakira has said goodbye to them with tears. On July 24, the singer shared a video in which she couldn’t hold back her emotions and promised them: “Don’t be sad, because we will be friends forever.” She also gifted them a soccer ball signed by her and hinted at a possible reunion in Madrid, where she has scheduled concerts.
Monday's post was, in Shakira's own words, a more reflective second farewell: that of someone who understood, thanks to eight children from Uganda, that "we can love one another regardless of where we come from, no matter what we have or lack."
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