A photo from behind says it all. Shakira walks down a street in New York carrying one of the Ghetto Kids, while 11-year-old Sasha hugs another Ugandan child, and 13-year-old Milan does the same with two more. No one posed for that shot. They were simply walking like that, like a family that suddenly grew bigger. 🥹
The Ghetto Kids came into Shakira’s life through a casting call she put out in May, looking for dancers for the halftime show at the 2026 World Cup final. She never imagined that this children’s group from Uganda would end up stealing the hearts of her entire family. “They have changed our lives”, wrote the Barranquilla native on Instagram on July 16, alongside photos of hugs, smiles, and strolls through Times Square. 💛
On July 14, they had already shared the stage in Newark, and now they are preparing together for the biggest moment of all: performing at the World Cup final. Shakira summed it up this way: it was magical. And it shows.