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It was really hard for me to accept that. To accept that something so unjust didn't have a solution. There had to be something that could be done. So I often ask myself why the adults around me were so resigned to the fact that these kids, who were just like me, or even their own children, were living in a parallel reality so different and so cruel. As Kofi Annan put it, "Poverty is intolerable in a world of plenty." So as soon as I had some success, the first thing I wanted to do was to invest as many resources I could into what later would become the most meaningful project of my life, working for children. So I set out to find a team, a team of people who dreamed big, and worked hard, and thought like me, to help me right the wrongs that I had witnessed throughout my entire childhood. And that's when our foundation, the Barefoot Foundation, Pies Descalzos Foundation, was born.

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It was really hard for me to accept that. // To accept that something so unjust / didn't have a solution. // There had to be something that could be done. // So I often ask myself / why the adults around me were so resigned to the fact that // these kids, / who were just like me, / or even their own children, / were living in a parallel reality / so different and so cruel. // As Kofi Annan put it, / "Poverty is intolerable / in a world of plenty." // So as soon as I had some success, / the first thing I wanted to do / was to invest as many resources I could / into what later would become / the most meaningful project of my life, / working for children. // So I set out to find / a team, / a team of people who dreamed big, / and worked hard, / and thought like me, / to help me / right the wrongs / that I had witnessed throughout my entire childhood. // And that's when / our foundation, / the Barefoot Foundation, / Pies Descalzos Foundation, / was born.

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I knew, and I was only 18 years old then, but I knew that I wanted to focus on children and improving their lives. But I didn't know where to start. So I really felt that I needed to learn what the roots of inequality and low social mobility were. So I decided to study the reasons why children were working in the streets, or why some children were being recruited by the violent organizations like the paramilitary or the guerrillas. Why were so many children suffering from chronic malnutrition? And I realized that most of the issues that children face in my country had and have a common denominator, the lack of access to quality education. To me, it became crystal clear that education was the surest way to give all of these kids the best fighting chance of improving their circumstances in life, because education is the great equalizer.

Let's follow Shakira...

I knew, / and I was only 18 years old then, / but I knew that I wanted to focus on children / and improving their lives. // But I didn't know where to start. // So // I really felt that I needed to learn / what the roots of inequality / and low social mobility were. // So I decided to study the reasons why children were working in the streets, / or why some children were being recruited by / the violent organizations / like the paramilitary or the guerrillas. // Why were so many children suffering from chronic malnutrition? // And I realized / that most of the issues that children face in my country / had and have a common denominator, / the lack of access to quality education. // To me, / it became crystal clear / that education was the surest way to give / all of these kids the best fighting chance of improving their circumstances in life, / because education / is the great equalizer.