| It is the endorsement no self-respecting celebrity | | | | village chief said: "We will show her how we in Malawi |
| philanthropist can be without. Madonna, whose talent | | | | welcome such visitors who are ready to help." |
| for reinvention has made her one of the world's | | | | Madonna plans to spend at least $3m (?1.6m) on |
| wealthiest women, has officially adopted Africa as a | | | | programmes to alleviate poverty in Malawi and |
| cause - and has sealed the endorsement by adopting | | | | another $1m to fund a documentary about the plight |
| an African baby boy. | | | | of children in the country. She has met the former |
| Government officials in Malawi said the 48-year-old | | | | US president Bill Clinton to see whether they can |
| singer had chosen the one-year-old orphan from | | | | work together to bring low-cost medicines to the |
| among 12 children specially picked prior to her arrival. | | | | region. |
| The landlocked southern African country, rated the | | | | She has also teamed up with the economist Jeffrey |
| 10th poorest in the world, has legions of children | | | | Sachs - Bono's favourite development guru - to assist |
| orphaned by Aids. | | | | his "millennium village" programme, in which he seeks |
| "She asked us to identify boys only, which we have | | | | to transform the fortunes of individual villages. |
| done after visiting four orphanages in Lilongwe," | | | | Benston Kilimbe, director of the social welfare |
| government spokeswoman Adrina Michiela told | | | | department, told the Associated Press that Madonna |
| Reuters. Ms Michiela said Madonna had wanted to | | | | was expected to file the adoption papers today. |
| adopt a girl but apparently changed her mind two | | | | The visit to Malawi is her first to Africa. She |
| weeks ago. | | | | attributes her interest in helping the continent to a |
| The pop star, worth an estimated ?248m, arrived by | | | | "better perspective" on life derived from Kabbalah. |
| private plane in Lilongwe, the capital, yesterday and | | | | "One of the main precepts of Kabbalah is that we're |
| will travel 30 miles today to the village of Mphandula, | | | | put on this earth to help people," Madonna told Time |
| where she is funding the Raising Malawi centre to | | | | magazine when she revealed her plans in August. |
| feed and educate Aids orphans. | | | | Malawi is a country in dire need of attention. It has |
| As part of their studies, orphans at the centre will be | | | | few resources apart from land, and agriculture |
| taught a curriculum based on Spirituality for Kids, | | | | employs 85% of the working population. HIV/Aids |
| linked to the Kabbalah school of mysticism, of which | | | | has cut a swath through the adult population. |
| Madonna is a follower. | | | | It was unclear whether Madonna, for whom Malawi |
| Mphandula is a village of mud huts with thatched | | | | waived its ban on non-resident adoptions, would |
| roofs, no mains electricity and only a handful of | | | | leave the country with her adopted baby or whether |
| radios, where few have heard Madonna's music. But | | | | they would be reunited at a later date. |
| her visit has set up high expectations. Many of | | | | Celebrity families |
| Mphandula's households are headed by children who | | | | Mia Farrow became the first big-name proponent of |
| have lost parents to Aids and raise their siblings | | | | international adoption when she gave a home to a |
| singlehandedly. Of Malawi's population of about 13 | | | | Vietnamese war orphan in the early 70s. The actor |
| million, one million are children who have lost at least | | | | has helped raise 10 adoptees, most of whom have |
| one parent. | | | | severe disabilities. |
| As residents rehearsed songs to welcome her, the | | | | |