when she was a child, she witnessed children as young as her sniffing glue instead of going to school. This became a huge turning point in her life and she vowed to take action. This is similar to an experience I had in my own hometown where I saw first-hand the conditions of schools in third-world countries which included overcrowded classrooms and lack of air-conditioning in 90 to 100 degree weather. At 18 years old, she released her multi-platinum album Pies Descalzos and established a foundation of the same name focused on providing education to poor children of Colombia. Now, her credentials include UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and sponsor of a six million dollar school in her hometown. Her actions have inspired me to set goals to help the education in my home country, the Philippines, which includes building a school in my hometown.
All things considered, she is not only a hugely successful singer; she is also a fervent believer in the right of free education to all children. It is not hard to understand why Shakira is idolized in dozens of Latin American countries.