Shakira and FIFA have teamed up for a huge charitable effort to help the thousands of children impacted by the devastating earthquakes that hit Venezuela on June 24. In a video posted over the weekend, the singer announced that the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund will earmark $500,000 to help provide the resources to continue educating the nation’s youth during the recovery from the natural disaster.
“Today, millions of children are growing up without the education and opportunities they deserve,” the singer said in an Instagram video announcing the initiative. “That’s why I’m so proud to support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.”
The two massive magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes that struck less than a minute apart last month have claimed more than 3,300 lives to date and left 16,000 injured and more than 17,000 left homeless, with thousands of citizens still unaccounted for.
In May, Shakira announced that she would be donating 100% of the profits from her 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem “Dai Dai” to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, whose board she, and the Weeknd, joined last fall in advance of this summer’s FIFA World Cup tournament; Shakira will also be performing during halftime of the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in N.Y./N.J. alongside Madonna and BTS.
“I’m also pleased to share that the FIFA Global Education Fund will dedicate $500,000 to support organizations in Venezuela that are helping children whose education has been disrupted by this terrible tragedy,” she said. “We’ll invite trusted local organizations already leading the relief effort to apply for funding to help children get back into the classroom, support teachers and restore access to learning.”
In the caption accompanying the video, Shakira wrote: “In the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, education programs are likely to face long-term setbacks, disrupting the progress that was already being made. As a supporter of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, I’m standing with the children of Venezuela to help ensure that, as the country rebuilds, every child continues to have access to education and the opportunity to learn.”
She also encouraged the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luís Montenegro, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron to commit to supporting the fund, noting that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has already joined the campaign, while encouraging others to do the same. “If you believe every child deserves the chance to dream, please join us,” she said, noting that Venezuela-based organizations working to restore educational access can apply for funding through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund here.
Back in October, when Shakira and the Weeknd joined the Education Fund’s advisory board, the announced goal was to raise $100 million for education efforts around the world.
In the wake of the earthquakes, a number of artists, including Caracas natives Danny Ocean, Lele Pons, Lasso and Joaquina, have made pleas for fans to send aid or turned their socials into resources for victims of the temblors, which caused widespread building collapses in the capital city and in the coastal region of La Guaira, north of Caracas. In addition, Metallica have donated $100,000 to relief efforts through their All Within My Hands foundation, Rush released a special-edition T-shirt to raise funds for victims and Bad Bunny has overseen a shipment of 42,000 pounds of essential supplies to help survivors.
Watch Shakira’s video below.
