Shakira’s Fundación “Pies Descalzos” and Costa Cruises together for the construction of a school in Colombia
Shakira’s Fundación “Pies Descalzos” and Costa Cruises together for the construction of a school in Colombia
The project is aimed at helping local children and their families and providing a quality education for disadvantaged children as well as a community center for their families.
During the presentation event, Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises, delivered the first stone of the school, a brick that represent the “Brick of Happiness”, to Shakira to symbolize the beginning of the project. The construction will start in Cartagena in 2018 when the brick will arrive on board a Costa cruise ship after a journey from Barcelona to Cartagena. During the sailing both Costa ship’s crew and guests will have the chance to leave a dedication and a special message.
The new school will be built in Cartagena between the districts “Ciudad del Bicentenario” and “Villa de Aranjuez”, and is scheduled for delivery in June 2019, providing education and support to 1,300 local students from 6 to 18 years. It will follow the “public quality education” model provided by the Fundación Pies Descalzos, including also nutrition and health programs and special training activities for parents and the community at large.
The center will be equipped with state of the art facilities, such as library, auditorium, dininghall, sports areas, laboratories (professional development, scientific and technological), areas dedicated to early childhood, and more than 40 classrooms and halls.
Fundación Pies Descalzos is a Colombian NGO (non-governmental organization) founded by international artist Shakira in 1997 with the main objective to promote quality public education for children in vulnerable situation in Colombia.
The strong relation between Costa Cruises and Shakira, testimonial of the Italian brand for the “Happiness Squared” campaign since 2015, includes also the active participation of Costa to the philanthropic program set up by the Foundation she created.
“I’m so happy to know that a company like Costa Cruises understands the value of receiving a high-quality education in order to promote a more productive society”, said Shakira, “I’m looking forward to working with them to guarantee access to a top-quality education and state of the art facilities to open a school for 1,300 children in Cartagena in my native Colombia”.
“As a strong company operating worldwide we have the duty and the opportunity to support the communities in the different continents – said Neil Palomba, Costa Cruises President – Starting late 2014 we established the Costa Crociere Foundation as the natural evolvement of the social and environmental footprint Costa Cruises has carried on over the years. Today our engagement towards the Fundación Pies Descalzos allows us to provide help to children and their families also in South America”.
This donation initiative fits perfectly into the context of community support activities on the different continents that Costa already conducts through its Costa Crociere Foundation. Costa sustains Mercy Ships organization for the delivery of essential medical services in Africa; in Asia the Costa Crociere Foundation provides its financial support for the education of 500 disadvantaged children in the Philippines; and in Europe the Foundation is strongly engaged in promoting the social and environmental betterment of the communities through 21 projects. Earlier this year, for instance, a kindergarten for 125 children affected by the earthquake in central Italy has been inaugurated in Norcia and is now fully operating thanks to the support of Costa and its Foundation.
