Shakira announces $300 m World Bank early childhood initiative for Latin America
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 10:01 am
Colombian performer Shakira announced on Monday a $300 million joint initiative with the World Bank to expand development programs for young children in Latin America.
The musical sensation made the announcement in Washington D.C. after meeting with US President Barack Obama. She said they discussed the importance of promoting education for children younger than six years of age. It was really a privilege to me to be able to sit down today earlier with President Obama and to talk about our shared commitment to early childhood development and, in particular, the way that investing in our children’s earliest education is the smartest strategy that governments can create to boost economic growth, global security and peace,” she told. Shakira has long been an advocate for children and founded the nonprofit ALAS (Spanish for ‘wings’) to unite artists, business leaders and intellectuals to promote childhood nutrition, education and health. She said the money, which will be accessible to governments as grants and loans over the next two years, was a significant opportunity to make a difference in the region where the World Bank says 9 million children suffer from chronic malnutrition and 22 million lack access to early basic care. During this year, 2010, and next year, we can count on this enormous help and invest in nutrition, health and education for 22 million children in Latin America who have no access to this kind of state protection. This is truly a golden opportunity that we shouldn’t waste, she said.
One of the first beneficiaries of the World Bank funds will be a partnership with Mexico’s state agency CONAFE to provide parent and caregiver training in the country’s poorest 172 municipalities.
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