ALAS Foundation

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ALAS Foundation, short for Fundación América Latina en Acción Solidaria, is a nonprofit created to spark a social movement for comprehensive early childhood development across Latin America. It was founded in 2006 by Shakira, a Colombian singer and UNICEF ambassador, with Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez as its honorary president. The foundation is headquartered in Panama, emphasizing its regional focus. Notable supporters include Latin artists Juanes, Alejandro Sanz, and Miguel Bosé.

Its early mission aimed to fight hunger and exclusion, offering programs for pregnant women, vaccinations, and birth registration. In 2008, ALAS received about $200 million in donations. In 2010, it expanded through the Early Childhood Initiative: A Lifelong Investment, a $300 million effort launched with the World Bank to grow early childhood development programs in Latin America and the Caribbean. By February 2011, the initiative had helped more than half a million children through nutrition and health work, with donations totaling over $100 million.

In 2011, the ALAS – IDB Award was created together with the Inter-American Development Bank to recognize high-quality programs that combine early education, psychosocial support, nutrition, health, and family involvement. The first awards were given in 2012.

In mid-2016, with leadership from Shakira and businessman Alejandro Santo Domingo, ALAS helped push for Colombia’s De Cero a Siempre plan to become a permanent state policy. The bill, which seeks to ensure sustained funding and access for vulnerable children, passed the Senate 62-1 on May 24, 2016, and was celebrated as a major step for children’s rights in Colombia.

Two major concerts were held on May 17, 2008, simultaneously in Argentina and Mexico, to raise awareness about child poverty. In Buenos Aires, about 150,000 attended; in Mexico City, around 200,000. Both events were free.

There were allegations about the appointment of Lautaro García Batallán as executive director, linked to a corruption scandal. Antonio de la Rúa, a vice president, denied mismanagement and said there was no evidence, noting that several members had left the organization.

The ALAS – IDB Award, created in 2011, honors programs that integrate early education, psychosocial support, nutrition, health, and family engagement, with the first awards given in 2012.