Shakira meets quake survivors in Haiti

Colombian hip-shaker Shakira flew by private jet to the earthquake-ravaged city of Port-au-Prince in Haiti on Sunday to meet child survivors and discuss the construction of a school, reports Reuters.

Along with Hollywood actors and other global celebrities, Shakira met around a hundred children at the site of the proposed school.

The sultry Colombian songstress toured a camp of nearly 50,000 people, where she met with American actor Sean Penn, who runs a charity to help the earthquake victims.

“We think we can employ what we’ve learned [in Colombia] here, apply it in this country, which needs it so much at the moment,” said Shakira.

Shakira’s Barefoot Foundation (Pies Descalzos) provides education, nutrition and psychological support to more than 6,000 Colombian children displaced by violence. The singer’s planned school in Haiti would be modelled on similar establishments already built by her organization.

Talking of education’s role in rebuilding the country, she said “We need to think about the future of this country and of how Haiti’s children can be useful to their societies tomorrow … Education is one of the fundamental tools with which to develop and rebuild Haiti.”

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