SHAKIRA RETURNS HOME TO HELP COLOMBIA AFTER DEADLY EARTHQUAKE

Shakira is stepping up to help her home country after last week's devastating earthquake in Colombia.

The Colombian superstar made a surprise visit to Quibdó, one of the communities hit hard by the 7.4-magnitude quake.

During her visit, Shakira toured damaged schools, met with students and announced plans to help rebuild at least 10 schools in the region.

She's also committing her own efforts to restoring a local technological university in Chocó.

And some major organizations are joining her.

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The FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund and Live Nation have each pledged $500,000, while the CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean is contributing another $250,000 toward rebuilding schools and getting kids back into classrooms.

The August 10 earthquake caused widespread destruction across western Colombia. Authorities say at least 287 people were killed, thousands of homes were destroyed and many people remain missing.

For Shakira, the recovery is clearly personal. She's been involved in education initiatives in Colombia for decades through her charitable work, and now she's once again putting her international spotlight on helping communities back home.

A pretty powerful reminder that sometimes celebrity influence can be used for something much bigger than selling albums and concert tickets.