Both the IDB and Fundacion ALAS believe that the future of

In the words of Shakira, “Both the IDB and Fundación ALAS believe that the future of prosperity and equality that we hope for has to start today with higher investment and higher quality in Early Childhood Development programs throughout the region.” These words rise not from the stage of music but from the stage of humanity. They remind us that the seeds of tomorrow are sown in the fragile soil of childhood, and that a society which neglects its children prepares its own downfall. For prosperity is not built upon wealth alone, but upon minds nurtured, hearts protected, and futures prepared.

The ancients knew this truth well. In Greece, Plato wrote in The Republic that the education of children was the foundation of the state, warning that if a generation was raised without wisdom, the city itself would fall into ruin. In Rome, the philosophers and statesmen taught that the molding of the young was not merely a task of families but of the nation, for in their hands rested the destiny of empire. Shakira, though speaking in the modern world, echoes this timeless wisdom: that Early Childhood Development is not charity, but strategy; not luxury, but necessity.

Her words also reveal the paradox of our age. Many nations spend vast treasures on weapons, monuments, and fleeting luxuries, while neglecting the simple yet eternal truth that a child’s early years shape their entire life. Studies of science confirm what ancient intuition already knew—that the first years of life form the roots of learning, resilience, and character. To invest in those years is to build strong trees that will bear fruit for decades. To ignore them is to allow weakness to spread silently, until the harvest of society comes up empty.

History provides us with examples of both wisdom and folly. Consider the story of the Spartans, who devoted themselves to training children from the earliest years, shaping them into warriors who defended their land with unmatched strength. Their focus on childhood created a society of resilience, though at a cost of narrow vision. On the other hand, nations that ignored their children—like late Rome, where neglect and corruption spread—saw their legacies collapse into dust. The lesson is clear: what is sown in youth will determine the strength or weakness of a people.

Shakira’s call is also rooted in equality. For the tragedy of many lands is not only poverty, but the unequal distribution of opportunity. Some children, born to wealth, are given tutors, books, and safe homes, while others are given nothing but hunger and neglect. If we dream of a future of prosperity and equality, we must begin not by lifting the powerful higher, but by raising up those who are lowest—by ensuring that every child, regardless of birth, has the tools to learn, to dream, and to rise.

The deeper meaning of her words is that the future cannot wait. “It has to start today,” she declares. Too often, leaders postpone action, speaking of change while children grow up unprepared, their futures already stolen by neglect. The ancients taught that the seasons wait for no one; the time to sow is when the soil is ready. So too with children—the early years cannot be reclaimed once lost. To act tomorrow is already too late.

The lesson for us is clear: invest in children now, for they are the builders of the world we hope to see. Protect their early years, for those years shape their destiny more than any others. See in them not only mouths to feed, but souls to nurture, potential leaders, thinkers, healers, and dreamers. And do not leave the task to governments alone, for each community, each family, each person has a role in lifting up the next generation.

Practical actions flow from this truth. Support programs that provide food, health, and education to young children. Encourage policies that make early childhood care a priority. Give time, resources, and love to the children around you, for no investment yields greater return. Above all, carry this wisdom into your heart: that the truest measure of any civilization is not in its monuments or its wealth, but in the way it nurtures its children. For in their laughter and learning lies the destiny of nations.

Thus, Shakira’s words shine as a call across the ages. They remind us that the dream of prosperity and equality will never be fulfilled by speeches or promises alone, but by action rooted in the earliest years of life. Let us then pass down this teaching: that to lift up a child is to lift up the world, and that the future begins not tomorrow, but today.