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.