Shakira created the Foundation after her first international success Pies Descalzos, worried about the life conditions of children in situation of vulnerability.

Shakira was named Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, and in the same year she called former Chancellor and former Minister of Education María Emma Mejía, to assume the Executive Presidency of the Foundation, whose headquarters moved from Barranquilla to Bogota.

We opened our offices in Quibdó (Chocó), and we began the adjustments in the Technological Institute Antonio Ricaurte- INTAR (seat Maria Berchmans, commune 6th of the Montebello area) and in Altos de Cazucá in the Educational Institute Gabriel García Márquez (Soacha, Cundinamarca).

In this period, we began the accompaniment of the Foundation to two Educational Institutions Las Américas and Siete de abril, in Barranquilla, where 1,565 children received the benefits of this alliance. Besides, we strengthened the nutritional program with a personalized follow-up and we started the strategy of psychosocial support.

To achieve the goal of comprehensive care for children in vulnerable situations, we developed the First Strategic Plan 2006-2008.

During this year, we reinforced the strategy of educational intervention, achieving the well-being of 3.072 children and young people. Besides, we strengthened the comprehensive model that places the school as a community development center to take care of 10,500 people in the neighboring districts and communes.

The Elementary Educational Institution of Pies Descalzos in Quibdo (Choco) was inaugurated with comprehensive care for 550 children from the influence area.

We opened offices in Barranquilla (Atlántico) and in Soacha (Cundinamarca). We also established alliances and agreements with national and multilateral organisms for the development of the different programs.

Thanks to the efforts achieved, we expanded the attention to 3,610 children and young people in the supported schools and we consolidated the educational programs having as a priority mathematics and literacy.

The second facility of the district school Las Américas, was built in Barranquilla with the support of European foundations. As an initiative for the construction of the new school in Barranquilla, in December Shakira did a concert in the city reaching a historical record of 52.000 assistants which joined the initiative.

The Tools For Life program was initiated and the first associations of parents and young people appeared in Soacha (Cundinamarca) and Quibdó (Chocó).

The District of Barranquilla acquired the lands for the future construction of the Pies Descalzos School in the township of La Playa and the educational project started in the area; including the educational census and the approach with the surrounding community.

We gave university scholarships to the top students in the schools and implemented the “Young educators” strategy (multiplication strategies and training with young people).

After several years of work, the model for administrative, educational and community intervention was strengthened. External auditing processes were incorporated with the international firm Deloitte, as well as organizational processes with the firms Innovative Philanthropy and Compartamos. Thanks to these efforts, the Foundation established new cooperative partnerships with major donations from Spain and Germany.

In this year the Second Strategic Plan 2009-2011 was created. Its mission was the implementation of a quality public model with private support and assistance.

A new board of directors composed of recognized personalities from the private sector and philanthropy, was established.

The inauguration of the Pies Descalzos Foundation School and Community Center in Barranquilla was done with the presence of Shakira and other personalities. In addition, the first approach to the construction of a new school in Cartagena (Bolívar) was done.

We achieved to improve some alliances with the academy, private enterprises and the State to develop the intervention model, synergy which allowed mechanisms of early childhood intervention to be established according to the millennium goals.

After the earthquake that devastated Haití in January 2010, Shakira visited Port- au- Prince and pledged to help with education in this country.

During the month of June, the campaign Mango-Waka Waka started led by Shakira, aiming to raise funds for the construction of a multipurpose classroom at a school in Soweto (South-east of Johannesburg- South Africa).

Shakira performed the traditional Christmas ad for Freixenet (Champaign brand), its payment was entirely donated for the construction of two new schools in Port-au- Prince (Haiti) and Cartagena (Colombia).

The new Project in the city of Cartagena began: the construction of a mega-school in the area of Lomas del Peyé. The first brick of the construction was placed by Shakira accompanied by the philanthropist Howard Buffet, the former Mayor Judith Pinedo, María Emma Mejía, Patricia Sierra and Antonio Celia member of the Directors Board of the Foundation.

In addition to this, eight new classrooms were given to the Gabriel García Márquez School, located in Altos de Cazucá, in partnership with the Town Hall of Soacha and the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF). In this area, thanks to the support of the Spanish NGO Ayuda en Acción, the government of Cundinamarca and the Mayor of Soacha, among others, the multi-sports facility Bosque de Esperanza-Pies Descalzos was given to the community.

Additionally and thanks to the support of International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Royalco, two new classrooms and a playroom, were delivered in Quibdó.

– Patricia Sierra took over as Executive Director of the Foundation.

-At the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Shakira played a significant role leading philanthropic actions:

1. She gave substantive speeches in front of the most important political and business leaders in the region, emphasizing the importance of investment in education.

2. She participated in the delivery of the ALAS-BID awards for the impulse to the early childhood development.

Within the framework of the Summit of las Americas, the program De Cero a Siempre, the Julio Mario Santodomingo foundations, Latin America in Solidarity Action ALAS, Pies Descalzos and AeioTU Carulla program, joined with 30 public and private institutions to create the alliance Primero lo Primero in favor of children from 0 to 5 years old, a national strategy for early childhood, in which public and private sectors joined to build 13 centers for early intervention in Colombia.

The Primero lo Primero alliance launched the Early Childhood Center at the Institute of Technology Antonio Ricaurte in Quibdo for 220 children under 5 years.

2013 was a big year for our Foundation; 5,166 children and 67,000 members of surrounding communities to the three Educational Institutions in Barranquilla, Quibdó and Soacha were supported with the comprehensive intervention model. Besides, to strengthen the team an expert was supplemented to optimize all the quality education processes in schools supported by the Foundation.

The construction of the Educational Institution in Lomas del Peyé, Cartagena was completed, with an investment of 8 million dollar; a great project for 1,700 children, their families and the community.

In addition for the work of 16 years, our Foundation was recognized among the five most admired organizations in Colombia, according to the Consultoría e Investigacion Cifras & Conceptos Company (fifth panel review 2013, 8th of July to 20th of September 2013).

The Educational Institution of Pies Descalzos Foundation in Lomas del Peyé, Cartagena was inaugurated in February 24^th, 2014 with the presence of Shakira, donors and different personalities. The institution opened its doors in March for approximately 1,700 students and became a center of community development for more than 34,000 residents of the community.

In alliance with El Espectador Forums, we did the Educational Challenges Forum: Now or Never, in Cartagena de Indias in February 19^th. In this event nationally and internationally recognized experts participated and it provided recommendations to correct existing problems and aim to reach a high education level in Colombia in the coming years.

According to the sixth Panel of opinion of consulting company and Investigation “Cifras & Conceptos”, our foundation was recognized between three organizations most admired in Colombia. (Sixth Panel of Opinion 2014, measurement July 8^th– September 19^th of 2014).

Our Foundation is recognized as one of the most important organizations for work in Quality Public Education in the first volume of The Best of Colombia and for the third year we are part of the most admired social organizations in Colombia, according to the VII opinion panel of the Advice Company Cifras & Conceptos.

The model of the Sports Center “Bosques de la Esperanza” was selected to be part of the permanent collection of the Pompidou Museum, in Paris. The School Open Forum, a bet for Quality Education! Was held in Barranquilla and we shared the results of the strategic alliance and management balance made in Soacha from 2005 to 2015. Both events were held in conjunction with Ayuda en Acción Foundation, our partner in the intervention in the two regions.

We signed three important agreements with the foundations Nourish the Children to receive a multivitamin food and strengthen the strategic line of nutrition, with Restrepo Barco and ISA to implement the program Educational Transformation and with Breteau to develop skills in language and mathematics through the implementation of ICT, to strengthen the intervention line of public quality education.

7 supported students by our Foundation were selected because of their excellent performance in the exam SABER 11, to the program “Ser Pilo Paga”.

During 2011 and 2015 the Alberto Merani Foundation did a longitudinal study which showed which public schools had the most increasing trend to the improvement in the Tests SABER 11. Barranquilla’s school obtained this award for being the public school of Colombia with major acceleration in a short time and better performance in Tests Saber during the last years.

-Pies Descalzos Foundation obtained the “Noûs Trayectoria de Vida” award in Quito, Ecuador of the Contest of Educational Excellence.

– Shakira Mebarak received the Cristal Award in the Economic World Forum for her leadership towards education and early childhood development.

– The Foundation is finalist en the Public Award for Peace, an initiative that has as main goal, to announce and support initiatives of construction craftsmen of peace worldwide.