The community of Cartagena, Colombia, celebrated, Saturday, May 18, 2024, the inauguration of the 19th Educational Institution of the Pies Descalzos Foundation, owned by singer Shakira. The school, named after the non-governmental organization (NGO), was designed with the support of Costa Cruises and other organizations. 

With an investment of more than 14.7 billion pesos (UDS$3.8 million), the institution will serve local at-risk youth, promoting quality education for more than 960 children, in addition to acting as a community center for disadvantaged families.

“This partnership is a symbol of unity, strength and commitment to the next generations, and an important testimony of how education can transform lives and communities,” said Dario Rustico, executive president of Costa Cruises for the Americas. “The Pies Descalzos school represents the hope of a fairer and more prosperous future for the children and young people of Cartagena. In March 2018, the first brick for the school’s construction arrived in Cartagena after traveling aboard Costa ships. At the time, we called it the brick of happiness and it already represented everything we believed in: education is the cornerstone for those who seek better opportunities in life.”

The ceremony was attended by local dignitaries, including, Aurora Vergara-Figueroa, the Minister of National Education of Colombia, as well as representatives of partner institutions and members of the Cartagena community.

Costa played a fundamental role in the conception, construction and development of the Pies Descalzos Educational Institution, from the project proposal to the execution of the building. With an infrastructure of 6,075 square meters (65,400 square feet), the school has 26 classrooms, a library, bilingual and recreational areas, and inclusive spaces for teaching children and teenagers.