COLOMBIAN pop sensation Shakira spoke of her own experience of poverty, and hinted at plans to have a child, as she addressed the Oxford Union today.

Following in the footsteps of Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, Michael Jackson and the Dalai Lama, the hip-shaking singer, who is a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, was invited by the student debating society to give a talk about her charitable work.

About 400 students gathered in the chambers to listen to the petite star talk about her own charity, the Barefoot Foundation, which she set up when she was just 18, and afterwards answer a list of pre-prepared questions submitted by members of the audience.

Wearing a pink dress, black tights and black stiletto shoes, she thanked the Union for its invitation and apologetically warned the audience that there would be “no hip shaking”, before she talked about the importance of education in the developing world.

Shakira, 32, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has won two Grammy Awards and seven Latin Grammy Awards, and achieved international success with songs including Whenever, Wherever and Hips Don't Lie.

She was born in Baranquilla, Colombia, where she said she witnessed poverty firsthand, both after her father was declared bankrupt and on the streets of her home town.

She said: “When I was eight years old I saw my parents undergo bankruptcy. I remember as if it was yesterday.

“We returned home, all of our furniture had gone, the big colour TV was now a small black and white one, our cars were gone.

“I couldn’t understand why it was happening.”

She told the students it was only when her parents took her around the streets of her town to show her real poverty, that she gained some perspective and vowed to make a difference.

She added: “As soon as I had my first international album success, I established my foundation.”

Her two charities, the Barefoot Foundation and the Pies Descalzos Foundation, provide education to Colombian children, and now run five schools in the South American country.

When asked by one student in the audience what she saw herself doing in 10 years she said she intended to carry on her charity work and her music career, adding: “And maybe some day have a baby of my own.”

Among those who queued up outside the Frewin Court debating chamber to hear the music superstar speak was first-year economics student Raoul Philipse.

He said: “It’s not often you get the opportunity to see an international pop star with such ease.”