via Straits Times

She’s usually penning pop songs, but Shakira recently wrote something a little different - an op-ed for the super-prestigious The Economist on childhood education. In the article, Shakira calls for world governments to support the Global Fund for Education. The Fund is an effort of the Millennium Development Goals which aims to reduce poverty by ensuring that every child is able to complete primary school. As we’ve covered in the past, Shakira’s Barefoot Foundation has done tons of work in her native Columbia, opening schools and health centers for impoverished kids. Shakira sees childhood education as a vital way for countries to break free of poverty and conflict, and she writes that “the education of a child is the most powerful form of national security.”

Click here to read Shakira’s article in The Economist. Then, read more about the Millennium Development Goals and how you can take action to end global poverty.