Madonna Leaves Malawi After A Week

LILONGWE, Malawi — Madonna has left Malawi after a nearly weeklong visit with her family, airport and charity officials said Saturday.

Officials said Madonna flew out of the southern African country on Friday. The 51-year-old celebrity arrived in the impoverished country on Sunday accompanied by her four children – daughters Lourdes and Mercy, and sons Rocco and David. Mercy and David were adopted from Malawi.

While in Malawi, she broke ground for her $15 million Raising Malawi Academy for Girls and visited the orphanage that cared for her son David before she adopted him.

Madonna's Raising Malawi, a charity founded in 2006 when she first visited the country, helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's orphans.

Malawi, a nation of 12 million, is one of the poorest countries in the world. About 500,000 children have lost a parent to AIDS.

Comments

[sssteverrr]

Why the anger. The woman gives away some of her money to help others, the woman adopts children from impoverished third world countries and provides them with love and all the opportunities child could hope for.

Could she do better or more; I guess so, BUT HOW ABOUT YOU?

[PoliticalRockChick]

It's all photo-op.

[PoliticalRockChick]

I'm sick and tired of seeing self-centered rich white people feeling sorry for Africans thinking they really are helping Africans by adopting their babies and thinking building a school for girls is the end all and be all. I have many Africans friends who are appalled by this trend. Africans are not trends. There are over 53 nations in the continent that already have schools. Why not put money in repairing those. There's corruption why not deal with that and face the leaders you make side deals with, so you can avoid taxes in your own country. There's AIDS. Instead of running around spreading religion and abstinence, Madonna for you your Kaballah, pass condoms and appropriate information about prevention. Remember AIDS is preventable. There have been wars through the years due to stealing of African resources, and interrupting the lives of the African people and the tribe's environments and lands, due to the western world interfering in their lives, hunting for oil and gold. Why not start with that, by speaking out against that and stop wearing the gold and blood diamonds you so thirst for to show how wealthy you are. Madonna and the rest of your hollywood friends; focus on your country's schools and Americans who need help with jobs and crimes in their neighborhoods.

Hopefully this gets posted.

[lukebenward]

Where's your African bought human fashion accessories, Madge? Done w/ your photo-op, are you?

[Progressiveama]

when I see actors making 20 million bucks per picture, it makes me want to puke......Madonna is one whom I think works for her money, by working like crazy to be in shape.....I love her hands......you can see the incredible workout that she does.....I hope that she doesn't get plastic surgery for them, I think that they are symbols of her hard hard work......I am 56 and she is a great inspiration for being in the 50s, as far as being in good shape.......she's okay to me

[SharonaMonk]

Why should Madonna have to spend her money in America to educate children? If we have billions of dollars to go to war against a country that didn't attack us, we have the money to improve our schools. This anger is completely misdirected.

[ChelseaC]

SharonaMonk,
Agreed.

[GrizzlyBowman]

She doesn't have to; it's just that there are more homeless children here (at least one and a half million) than there are orphans (one million) in Malawi. Doesn't more discontents equal bigger problem?

Maybe an entertainer brave enough to take on the big issues can cover us.

Also, the vast majority of Americans are against the wars for oil and have been for years. We didn't start it--the government did; and the government, filled with career politicians as it is, is out of touch with reality. Don't tell the disintegrated homeless that it's their fault that they're out on the street. That's not constructive at all.

[SharonaMonk]

I'd never say that it's their fault they are homeless. But again, we have the resources in America to take care of our own. It's the American peoples fault for not forcing our politicians to take care of us. Most of us sit with our head in the sand and do nothing for the people around us. Malawi has NO resources to support their people with. America does.

[Progressiveama]

I just fanned you, I always like what you say.

[SharonaMonk]

Thanks. :)

[CoconutLime]

Madonna: "Must go buy another baby.... Brangelina will beat me if I don't get another one!"

[CoconutLime]

"These two are NOT enough!"

http://www.rumermills.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/madonna-mal1.jpg

[revhatchell]

this comment wasn't allowed on maddona's blog on huffpo:

maddona, you have billions. go nuts.

but this is how disconnected you and the rest of the uber wealthy are with real people.

you see, here in the former american empire, our schools are awful. our kids are uneducated. we have children that go hungry. we have people losing jobs and houses.

helping people in exotic locations is very impressive. we used to have a generous middle class in this country that was all too happy to indulge celebrity pet projects. that middle class has been destroyed.

i don't discount the suffering in malawi, but i think you discount ours.

[justchill]

she knows all of that...what's why she packed up years ago and moved across the pond to london, doncha know?

[CoconutLime]

And got a fake accent to boot!

[mapmaker515]

Well stated.......fanned

[CoconutLime]

I wish these celebrities would care more for about America than they do the rest of the freaking world. America needs textbooks and school supplies for its public schools. How about donating some of that money to American schools, Madonna?

[rzan1]

Excellent comment. 15 million dollars won't harm her lifestyle, but 25 dollars would be a hardship for many at this point. I am glad she is helping those children, but I thought it was almost insulting to ask us for money, and she would match it with 100,000 dollars. I have contributed to the Food Bank here and also to Save the Children. That is as much as I can do at this point.

[SharonaMonk]

I don't think you get that America actually could do something about our woes. But the greedy don't care about us or our children. No one in Malawi can do anything for their people.. But people in US can most definitely do something if they cared. Ya know, instead of spending BILLIONS on an unwinnable war.

[mollymac]

Malawi is a country that has systematically poached their elephants nearly to extinction. The remaining herd had to be removed in order to not be exterminated.

[mukTech]

And your point is?!!

[CowgirlAmy]

Kinda like we did the Indians?

[CoconutLime]

Some people don't like the truth.

[helpontheway]

the american bison was almost hunted to extinction...

[celebcritic]

Did anyone see the pics of David Banda on RumerMills, what a cool little dude!

http://www.rumermills.com/

[rzan1]

He is indeed a handsome little boy.

[Anonani]

Madonna is better than OK in my book. Her interest in the people of Malawi and its children is admirable. Anyone who can look beyond themselves and do for those in need is a person who has learned the lesson of selflessness. There is no greater lesson and to have her daughter there learning about something other than lessons of privilege is truly wonderful! Because of what I believe is her sincerity and using her celebrity to raise our awareness of this ill-fated nation, I chose to donate to the cause. Madonna is matching dollar for dollar each and every contribution. That is really putting your money where your mouth is. So to the Madonna detractors, I say a pox on you!

[iRock]

But doesn't it seem a little odd to you that she takes those kids back to their homeland wearing designer duds and glasses that are worth more than probably what those folks make in a year, if they make ANYTHING? I mean the sunglasses david was wearing alone, i don't even want to know what they cost.

im curious about what their connection to their home will be like when they get older.

still, kudos to her for her charity, because she could have decided to take the children and run and do nothing.

[Anonani]

I will never be rich or famous. My income is infinitesimal in comparison to this woman's worth. When the rich shop, they don't go to stores that sell sunglasses and clothing in the price range that my income dictates. Likewise, I definitely never consider shopping where they do either! I'm not convinced that to expect them to think about such things, in the context that you are thinking, is either reasonable or likely. Perhaps the children were allow to pick their own attire from what they like best in their closet, like most parents are likely to do. Should she then have told them to "dress down" or go to Target and and make her purchases. Consider this, no matter what she put on their backs, it could have been perceived as "too much" because these unfortunate people are the poorest of the poor in the world.

[vincjustin]

And what the heck is she supposed to dress them in???!!!!!??!!!!! Potato sacks????

Seriously. She's a rich women. Why would you judge her for being dressed nicely? I hardly think you'd adorn your children in a Wal-Mart wardrobe if you had her kind of money.

Ughh

[hypnotoad72]

On one hand, she's being noble.

Though it bothers me she took the low-brow route to become famous and wealthy in the first place.

She brings the adopted kids home wearing designer fluff. And will she throw a fit if the other children she's helping all want to have such clothes too? (I'm trying to parallel what happened a couple of years ago, about a famous person who advertised iPods, went to an inner city school, and had a fit when the kids said they wanted Ipods too...)

[gruau4u]

I think it's great that celebrities want to contribute money and time to help those that are impoverished in another country, but it's also important it help those in need in USA. I have never heard of Madonna helping those in her hometown state of Michigan. Michigan has a very high unemployment rate and there are alot of people that need help. I have heard of Jay Leno doing benefit concerts to help the unemployed in that state. He's not even from Michigan! Yet, he found it in his heart and pocket book to attempt to help and encourage those from that state. I have never heard of Madonna doing a benefit concert in Michigan. Why is that? What does she have against Michigan? Why can't she help people in her own hometown state of Michigan? Charity starts at home. Thankyou!

[mukTech]

I disagree with you 100%
You said it yourself: Jay Leno who is not even from Michigan, did a benefit concert for Michigan. Well, Madonna, who is not from Malawi, is doing some charity work in Malawi, It's all about what you care for the most. One person cannot help all over the place, but a little bit helps.

[Anonani]

gruau charity does begin at home. But we don't know what Madonna, or anyone else for that matter, is doing to make a difference in the United States, or any place else. Even the least of us have a responsibility to give back and I hope that every US citizen is doing that. Giving your time and your money, no matter how small either are...is a help. There are a lot of people who refuse to donate either...ever. I can only hope that we don't have a different set of expectations for any one group of people that excuses the rest of us from doing what we can.

[Anonani]

Why do you say that Madonna took the "low-brow route to become famous and wealthy in the first place"? I don't know much about her history, but I suspect she capitalized on her talent to create her wealth...is that a bad thing...especially for a person coming from a working class background with nothing but her talent to get by on? This woman has defied the odds and succeeded beyond imagination...leveraging her talent into a means to take care of her family and her children without leaning on the taxpaying public and not becoming a criminal. That is pretty magnificent to me! We all were not born with a silver spoon in our mouth and "new money" spends just as well as inherited money.

[ChelseaC]

Anonani,
Madonna is ok in my book too.
Well said.

[GrizzlyBowman]

Is that Lourdes Carlos in the picture next to her? If it is, wow. You can barely tell that she has a unibrow and a mustache.

Hairs grow above and below my nose too. But I shave them! And I'm a man!

Madonna's family: Sorta weird.

[lostintheBronx]

You are mean,and her name is not Lourdes Carlos, it is Lourdes Leon. Perhaps you should spend more time in the mirror inspectin your own mug (while shaving if you must) and less time insulting the looks of a perfectly innocent 13 year old child.

[mollymac]

oh please. star worshippers are weird. Who cares what her name is and how hairy she is?

[GrizzlyBowman]

Just trying to save her some psychotherapy later on when she realizes that the paparazzi got a million pictures of her with a mustache when she was a teenager.

This isn't some random girl. She's Madonna's daughter. It's not illegal to have facial hair certainly, but it's a bad idea if you're a young woman forced into the spotlight. Sure, that's inconvenient; I'm being realistic. Fantasy land features hot springs, candy cane lanes, and blissful ignorance.

[duncansdad]

She's a beautiful young lady. You sound jealous,and it doesn't look good on you. Pick on someone your own size.

[BikeFreak]

Judge much?

[GrizzlyBowman]

Only when someone gives me a reason. Pressure doesn't always serve to be hurtful; that is one way to perceive it. Put these items together: Teenage daughter of world renown singer + camera + mustache at 13. Yeah, that's not gonna come back to haunt her.