Pies Descalzos Foundation
A Colombian charitable foundation founded by Shakira that supports quality education, nutrition, and well-being for children in vulnerable and displaced communities.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Pies Descalzos Foundation, known in English as the Barefoot Foundation, is a Colombian charitable organization established by singer Shakira in 1997. Its work centers on children whose access to education and basic services is constrained by poverty, displacement, violence, homelessness, and other forms of social vulnerability. Rather than treating schooling as an isolated service, the foundation uses an integrated model that combines education with meals, community support, and attention to the particular conditions affecting each locality. The foundation's stated purpose is to help Colombian children exercise their right to quality education. Its programs have concentrated on communities affected by internal displacement and poverty, including areas around Barranquilla and Soacha, near Bogotá. The organization has developed and supported schools that provide formal education together with food and related services. Reference material describes five schools across Colombia serving approximately 4,000 children, although the number of facilities and beneficiaries may change over time and should be verified against the foundation's current reporting. A significant expansion occurred in 2004, when the foundation redirected substantial effort toward Shakira's hometown of Barranquilla. It built the Escuela Las Américas and Escuela Siete de Abril, two schools serving neighborhoods heavily affected by displacement, homelessness, and poverty. Together, these schools served 990 children according to the referenced account. During the same year, the foundation began work in Soacha, a municipality on the outskirts of Bogotá identified as receiving large numbers of displaced people. Activities at the Gabriel García Márquez and El Minuto schools in the Altos de Cazucá area created educational opportunities for a further 980 children. The foundation's operating model also includes nutrition. School meals are part of the support offered to children, and one cafeteria established during the 2004 expansion was managed by mothers from the surrounding neighborhood. This approach linked child welfare with local participation and gave families a direct role in delivering community services. Funding has come from Shakira, individual and corporate donations, national and international companies interested in social responsibility, multilateral partners, and alliances with public-sector agencies. In February 2008, Shakira auctioned tour clothing and guitars through eBay to raise money for the foundation. In 2011, the FC Barcelona Foundation and the Pies Descalzos Foundation agreed to cooperate on children's education through sport, adding an international sports-based partnership to the organization's education work. The foundation's public profile is closely connected to Shakira, but its work is carried out through schools, communities, public institutions, and partner organizations. Shakira received the Hero Award at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards in recognition of her philanthropic work, including her support for the foundation. The organization remains focused on Colombia and on improving educational access and broader well-being for children in communities facing structural disadvantage.
History
The Pies Descalzos Foundation was founded in Colombia in 1997 by Shakira, who created the organization to help children living in poverty and other difficult circumstances. Its work developed around the conviction that education is a central route to improving children's long-term prospects, but that schooling is most effective when paired with food, community services, and an understanding of the social conditions affecting families. The foundation's target communities include children affected by internal displacement and vulnerability. Colombia's armed conflict contributed to large-scale displacement, placing pressure on urban and peri-urban communities that received families who had lost homes, livelihoods, and access to stable schooling. The foundation's model therefore emphasizes direct work in communities where children face overlapping barriers, rather than relying only on general charitable aid. In 2004, the organization expanded its activities in Barranquilla, Shakira's hometown. It built Escuela Las Américas and Escuela Siete de Abril in neighborhoods described as having been severely affected by displacement, homelessness, and poverty. The two schools together served 990 children. The foundation also began work in Soacha, a municipality outside Bogotá that had received many displaced people. Through activities connected with the Gabriel García Márquez and El Minuto schools in the Altos de Cazucá neighborhoods, it provided educational opportunities for another 980 children. The 2004 work also included nutrition and local participation. The foundation established a school cafeteria managed by neighborhood mothers, reflecting an approach in which families participate in the delivery of services rather than being treated solely as recipients. Education, meals, and community involvement became interconnected elements of the foundation's practical intervention. As the organization developed, its work came to include a network of schools and associated programs across Colombia. The referenced account describes five schools providing education and meals to approximately 4,000 children. The foundation has relied on a mixture of funding sources, including contributions from Shakira, donations from Colombian and international companies, support for social-responsibility projects, multilateral partnerships, and cooperation with government agencies. The foundation also used public fundraising and institutional partnerships to extend its reach. In February 2008, Shakira auctioned tour clothing and guitars on eBay, directing the proceeds toward the foundation. In February 2011, the FC Barcelona Foundation and the Pies Descalzos Foundation agreed to collaborate on children's education through sport. This partnership connected the foundation's education agenda with athletic activity and an internationally recognized sports institution. Shakira's role has brought significant visibility to the organization. In 2014, she received the Hero Award at the Radio Disney Music Awards for her philanthropic work. The award increased public recognition of the foundation's mission, although its operational focus remained the provision of education, meals, and community support in Colombia. The foundation is best understood as a Colombian education and child-welfare charity whose distinctive contribution is an integrated, community-based response to the needs of vulnerable and displaced children.
- 2014
Shakira honored for philanthropy
[1]Shakira received the Hero Award at the Radio Disney Music Awards for her philanthropic work.
- 2011
Education-through-sport partnership
[1]The foundation reached an agreement with the FC Barcelona Foundation concerning children's education through sport.
- 2008
Public fundraising auction
[1]Shakira auctioned tour clothing and guitars through eBay to support the foundation.
- 2004
Expansion in Barranquilla
[1]The foundation built Escuela Las Américas and Escuela Siete de Abril in disadvantaged Barranquilla neighborhoods, serving 990 children.
- 2004
Work begins in Soacha
[1]The foundation began activities associated with the Gabriel García Márquez and El Minuto schools in Altos de Cazucá, Soacha, creating opportunities for approximately 980 children.
- 2004
Community-managed school cafeteria launched
[1]A cafeteria was established and managed by mothers from the surrounding neighborhood, linking nutrition provision with community participation.
- 1997
Foundation established
[1]Shakira founded the organization in Colombia to assist children living in poverty and other vulnerable circumstances.
Products and positioning
A child-focused Colombian foundation positioned around the idea that quality education, nutrition, and community support should be delivered together in vulnerable and displaced communities.
Education · 2004
Barefoot Foundation schools
The foundation's principal delivery platform is a network of schools serving children in vulnerable and displaced communities. These schools provide formal education while addressing surrounding social needs. Reference material identifies facilities in Barranquilla and Soacha and describes a wider network of five schools across Colombia.
Child welfare · 2004
School meals and nutrition support
Meals are integrated into the foundation's education model. Nutrition support helps reduce a practical barrier to attendance and learning, while the community-managed cafeteria established during the 2004 expansion illustrates the organization's emphasis on local participation.
Youth development · 2011
Education-through-sport initiatives
Through its 2011 agreement with the FC Barcelona Foundation, the organization extended its child-development work into education through sport. The available reference does not specify the full program structure, duration, or current status.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008Shakira eBay fundraising auction
International
Shakira auctioned selected tour clothes and guitars on eBay to generate financial support for the foundation's programs.
Outcome. The auction raised funds for the foundation; the available source does not report the amount raised.
Brand decisions
2011
Partner with FC Barcelona Foundation on education through sportStrategyBackground
The foundation sought collaborative approaches to children's education and development.
Action taken
It entered an agreement with the FC Barcelona Foundation focused on children's education through sport.
Aftermath
The available reference confirms the agreement but does not provide detailed results or continuation data.
2004
Concentrate expansion on Barranquilla and SoachaStrategyBackground
The foundation targeted communities affected by displacement, homelessness, poverty, and limited access to education.
Action taken
It built two schools in Barranquilla and began work with two schools in Soacha, while also adding nutrition and community-management elements.
Aftermath
The referenced account attributes service to 990 children in the two Barranquilla schools and educational opportunities for approximately 980 children in Soacha.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/pies-descalzos-foundation · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled