Shakira asks Brazil president to back kids` projects

Brasilia: Colombian singer Shakira met Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to seek support for a social work organisation started by her and other artistes from Spain and Latin America."It was a very positive meeting" and the president was "very enthusiastic" about the work of the Alas Foundation, Shakira said. The singer is one of the sponsors of the organisation - whose name "alas" means "wings" in Spanish. The foundation focuses on projects benefiting children under six. "It`s a blessing, for the first time (for Brazil) to have a female president, since there`s nobody like a woman to understand the problems of childhood," Shakira said. The singer gave Rousseff an autographed guitar for having it auctioned to finance social projects. Shakira`s Brazilian leg of her Pop Music Festival tour will conclude in Sao Paulo, where she is scheduled to perform before a crowd of about 70,000. IANS