Entertainment News
2007-04-18
Madonna visits
orphanage in Malawi
Madonna returned
Tuesday to the orphanage where she found David Banda,
the young Malawian boy she hopes to adopt. The pop star was
Madonna returned
Tuesday to the orphanage where she found David Banda,
the young Malawian boy she hopes to adopt. The pop star was
accompanied by David and her 10-year-old daughter,
Lourdes.
Children at the
church-run Home of Hope orphanage in Mchinji, a village
near the Zambian border, sang and recited lessons for
Madonna while Lourdes took video footage.
Madonna's
security and local police tried to stop journalists and
onlookers from entering the orphanage compound. But
villagers, mainly children, clamored over the
waist-high wall and rushed in.
The orphanage has
been the scene of much excitement in recent weeks, with
the road leading to it graded, new flowers planted, and new
uniforms for the children.
Madonna visited
Malawi in October and took custody of David, then 14
months old, who was taken in by the orphanage after the
death of his mother. The move sparked controversy and
raised concerns that regulations were being swept
aside to benefit a pop star who has been generous to the
country. The 48-year-old pop star has said she followed the
law.
Madonna is
visiting Malawi to oversee her charity projects in the
impoverished country. She aims to provide food, education,
and shelter for up to 4,000 Malawian children through
her Raising Malawi organization.
As she was
leaving the orphanage Tuesday, Madonna posed for
photographs, holding hands with Lourdes, with David in
her arms. Madonna and Lourdes waved for the cameras
and, laughing, tried to encourage the little boy to
wave.
''It's great,''
the pop star said when asked how it felt to be back in
Malawi. (AP)
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