Colombian superstar Shakira Thursday lent her support to a $27 million initiative designed to aid 5,900 young children through the construction of 13 care centers across the country, reported El Espectador.
The “First Things First” project is a public-private initiative led by the Mario Santo Domingo Foundation (FMSD), intended to support the Colombian government’s “From Zero to Always” campaign, which aims to provide assistance to impoverished children up to five years of age.
The project was announced by FMSD President Pedro Pablo Obregon in the Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena, ahead of the upcoming Summit of the Americas, being held April 14 and 15.
In making the announcement, Obregon was joined by Colombia’s First Lady Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, as well as Shakira, whose Barefoot Foundation was unveiled among a coalition of charitable organizations supporting the initiative.
According to Obregon, the first of the 13 centers will be built next year in Colombia’s most impoversihed department, Choco.
According to Obregon, the funding available includes $15 million for construction and operation and $12 million for training and implementation.