Shakira and her footballer boyfriend Gerard Piqué are celebrating the imminent arrival of their second child by hosting a 'World Baby Shower' in support of UNICEF. The couple announced the event on Facebook, along with an exclusive photo that shows Shakira's growing baby bump.
Shakira and Gerard Piqué are expecting their second baby together
In the picture FC Barcelona star Gerard proudly cradles the 37-year-old's stomach as they smile for the camera. The couple first developed the concept ahead of the birth of their first son, Milan, with the hope of helping babies and mothers who need it most. Their first Virtual Baby Shower in 2013 was a huge success; over 80,000 children were vaccinated against polio, nearly four tons of therapeutic food helped children suffering from malnutrition, plus around 1,000 anti-malaria bed nets and nearly 200,000 oral rehydration salts sachets were distributed. Now UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Shakira is hoping for more generosity from fans ahead of the birth of her second child. "Now that we are soon welcoming our second child we want to help other children around the world and also contribute to a long-lasting solution for getting children living in extreme poverty the supplies they need to survive," she said.
Shakira already has a son, Milan, with footballer Gerard
Fans of the expectant couple are invited to participate in the event by buying 'Inspired Gifts' online, including measles and polio vaccines, blankets and midwifery kits, which will directly benefit UNICEF's work. In a post on her Facebook page, Shakira revealed the inspiration behind the concept, and reiterated her wish that other expectant mothers will also host their baby showers with UNICEF.
"Every woman who's expecting has the power to use the blessing of her child's imminent birth to save the lives of other, less fortunate children around the world. If every expectant mother having a baby shower decided to include among her gift registry some of these 'inspired gifts' that UNICEF offers, we could collectively save the lives of hundreds of thousands of children all over the globe," she wrote. Shakira confirmed her second pregnancy in September in an interview with Cosmopolitan México. The 37-year-old met her partner Gerard at the World Cup in 2010 as she promoted her song Waka Waka – Time For Africa.