BARRANQUILLA, Colombia, Nov 16 (Reuters) Thousands of poor Colombian children could soon have the chance to get a decent education in the heart of their Caribbean barrio thanks to a local girl-made-good -- Latin Grammy winner Shakira.

Shakira, famous for her hip-swiveling, belly-undulating dancing, plans to open a school for nearly 2,000 pupils in her hometown of Barranquilla as part of a program to educate children displaced by Colombia's conflict.

''Education is not a luxury, it is a right everyone should have,'' Shakira told reporters yesterday before a concert that will raise funds for the Barranquilla school. View original story