DHAKA, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Colombian singer Shakira, as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, visited Bangladesh to observe the reconstruction efforts after Cyclone Sidr and UNICEF education projects, The Financial Express reported Thursday.

    In the cyclone-ravaged area of southern Patuakhali district, 160 km south of capital Dhaka, Shakira visited the Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) developed for displaced and psychologically imperiled children and participated in the distribution of family kits and warm clothes among them.

    "I'm sorry for what happened to you," she said as she hugged children and women during her visit to the Sidr-affected areas listening intently to their stories, "but things will get better again. I admire your resilience and your patience and how much you still have to give when you have so little for yourselves."

    "I have come to Bangladesh to see the impact of the cyclone and to learn about UNICEF's approach to education," said the two times Grammy Award winning singer, who joined as UNICEF goodwill ambassador in 2003 at the age of 26.

    She also visited UNICEF-assisted Education and Child Protection projects.

    The cyclone Sidr battered Bangladesh's southern and southwestern coastal areas on Nov. 15, leaving more than 3000 dead and millions homeless.