Barefoot Foundation

Pies Descalzos Foundation (Bare Feet Foundation) is a Colombian charity founded by pop artist Shakira in 1995. with the aim of helping poor and impoverished children. The Pies Descalzos mission statement is "The Barefoot Foundation works to ensure that every Colombian child can exercise their right to a quality education. Our model targets displaced and vulnerable communities by addressing their unique needs."

The foundations main focus is on aid through education, and the organisation has five schools across Colombia that provide education and meals for 4000 children.

2004 efforts

In 2004 the work of the Foundation turned to Shakira’s hometown of Barranquilla. The Foundation built two new schools, Escuela Las Americas and Escuela Siete de Abril. The schools brought change to two neighborhoods that had been devastated by displacement, homelessness and poverty. The two Pies Descalzos schools provided services for 990 children.

That same year, 'Pies Descalzos' initiated work in Soacha, Cundinamarca, a suburb on the outskirts of Bogotá. According to the Colombian Social Welfare Network, Soacha has one of the highest rates of incoming victims of displacement. Their work began at the Gabriel Garcia Marquez and El Minuto schools in the Altos de Cazuca neighborhoods, providing opportunities for another 980 children.

According to official statistics, 57000 children were reportedly displaced in 2004. The Pies Descalzos Foundation schools are able to help 4.6% of these children. Contributions help to build respectable communities that provide sustainable jobs and give people the chance for a better future.

The year 2004 was significant for the Pies Descalzos Foundation. They reached many of the goals they had set for the Foundation, working with children whose lives were disrupted because of the Colombian Armed Conflict. Many children were given access to an education, better nutrition, and a new sense of hope. The foundation also initiated a school cafeteria that was managed totally by the neighborhood moms.

Funding

Support for the Foundation comes from contributions by Shakira and donations from national and international companies who care about social responsibility. They also work with multilateral corporations who endorse special projects and have formed alliances with government agencies. During February, 2008, Shakira auctioned some of her tour clothes and guitars on eBay to support her foundation.

External links

• Pies Descalzos Foundation Official site
• Unofficial Photos (Spanish)
• Interview with Camilo Guerrero González, Fundación Pies Descalzos School Meals and the Barefoot Foundation