Madonna to Adopt a baby

[VainJane]

Madonna in Malawi to adopt child, help orphans

LILONGWE (Reuters) - Pop diva Madonna arrived in Malawi on Wednesday to adopt an African child and fund an orphan center for 1,000 children, many of whom lost parents to AIDS.
A fleet of cars and trucks specially flown in whisked the "Material Girl" and her entourage to an undisclosed location soon after their private plane landed at Lilongwe.
"She came straight from the plane, greeted the minister (of women and development) in the VIP lounge, then (went) straight to her car," said Adrina Michiela, a government spokeswoman.

Madonna's trip has stoked high expectations in Malawi, an impoverished nation of 13 million people who are dependent on tobacco exports. The country, like others in the region, has been decimated socially and economically by AIDS.
Madonna has said she plans to spend at least $3 million on programs to support orphans in Malawi and another $1 million to fund a documentary about the plight of children in the country.
She is scheduled to travel to Mphandula on Thursday, a village 20 km (12.5 miles) outside Lilongwe, where she is funding the construction of the Raising Malawi center to feed and educate orphans.
Madonna, who already has two children, is also making arrangements to adopt a child, according to the Malawi government, which is helping to locate a suitable candidate and planning to exempt her from a ban on non-resident adoptions.
Residents in Mphandula, which has no electricity, were busy on Wednesday rehearsing songs and making preparations.
"We will show her how we in Malawi welcome such visitors who are ready to help," the village chief said.
Critics have described the project as a publicity stunt that follows in the footsteps of other celebrities who have taken up causes on the world's poorest continent.
As part of their studies, orphans at the center will be taught a curriculum based on Spirituality for Kids linked to the Kabbalah school of mysticism to which Madonna adheres.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...WI.xml&src=rss

[Meg]

I'm all for helping impoverished countries with your personal wealth but I am NOT for education funding being tied to the individuals religious belief systems. And she is making it seem like she adopting because it's stylish or something.

[Blodeuwedd]

One thing is being taught a faith, another is being taught a mystic religion. All these kids want is the necessities for living and health. I'm sure they already have their faith, and I find it insulting that they want to replace it, with the typical mentality of "enlightening" them to "the way."

Reminds me of an episode of South Park where hungry emaciated ethiopian kids are telling the teacher they're hungry during bible class, and the teacher takes out a cardbord with a picture of "bible + cross = food" to make them read.

[Taylour72]

Reminds me of an episode of South Park where hungry emaciated ethiopian kids are telling the teacher they're hungry during bible class, and the teacher takes out a cardbord with a picture of "bible + cross = food" to make them read.

haha that made me laugh

[zembla]

Well...at least the kid will have a better life than they would have. I mean honestly after Angelina everyone looks like carbon copy, heh.

[brokenenglish]

I wonder if they will try to sell the poor Africans the $28 Kabbalah bracelet?...

[morgan38]

Originally Posted by VainJane

As part of their studies, orphans at the center will be taught a curriculum based on Spirituality for Kids linked to the Kabbalah school of mysticism to which Madonna adheres.

Ugh. I hate Madonna. God forbid these orphans get to hold on to their own cultures and religions.

[fashionicon]

Originally Posted by zembla

Well...at least the kid will have a better life than they would have. I mean honestly after Angelina everyone looks like carbon copy, heh.

Sadly, that's true.

To call them "fashion accessories" is a little extreme I think.

By the year 2015, 20 MILLION african children will be orphans. So I don't knock anyone (celebrity or not) who wants to care for a child and essentially give them a better life than what they would have had otherwise. I'm sure actually going there and observing the poverty stricken country for oneself, would be enough to make anyone want to adopt/rescue a child.

[VainJane]

Madonna adopts baby boy in Malawi
LILONGWE (Reuters) - Pop diva Madonna adopted a young boy in Malawi on Wednesday and moved ahead with plans to fund a center for 1,000 orphans, many of whom lost parents to AIDS in the impoverished African nation.
The "Material Girl" and an entourage arrived in the Malawian capital Lilongwe by private plane early on Wednesday and were quickly whisked away to an undisclosed location in a fleet of cars and trucks.
Government officials said the 48-year-old singer, already a mother of two, chose the one-year-old orphan from among 12 children specially chosen prior to her arrival in the country, which has legions of children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.

"She asked us to identify boys only, which we have done after visiting four orphanages in Lilongwe," government spokeswoman Adrina Michiela said. Michiela said Madonna had wanted to adopt a girl but changed her mind two weeks ago.
It was unclear whether Madonna, for whom Malawi waived its ban on non-resident adoptions, would leave the country with her adopted baby or whether they would be reunited at a later date.
The trip has stoked high expectations in Malawi, a nation of 13 million people who are dependent on tobacco exports.
Madonna has said she plans to spend at least $3 million on programs to support orphans in Malawi and another $1 million to fund a documentary about the plight of children in the country.
She traveled to Mphandula, a village 20 km (12.5 miles) outside Lilongwe, where she is funding the construction of the Raising Malawi center to feed and educate around 1,000 orphans.
Residents in Mphandula, which has no electricity, were earlier busy rehearsing songs and preparing for her arrival.
Critics have described the project as a publicity stunt that follows in the footsteps of other celebrities, including actress Angelina Jolie, who have taken up causes on the world's poorest continent.
As part of their studies, orphans at the center will be taught a curriculum based on Spirituality for Kids linked to the Kabbalah school of mysticism to which Madonna adheres.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...WI.xml&src=rss

[VainJane]

Babies are the new IT thing and exotic adopted babies from third-world countries are the Roberto Cavalli of the IT babies

We all know that adopting babies is good no matter who, what or where you are, it's a given. I feel redundant even saying it.

It's just sooo ironic that she does this now....besides, Madonna is practically the queen of publicity stunts

I wonder if she'll get $2 million for a People spread....or maybe she'll hold out for Vanity Fair.

[mellowdrama]

Wooden fetish dolls in your closet!

(Images: http://www.geocities.com/queensofcamp/joan_copy.jpg
http://www.iconique.com/flash/forum/...id=711_0_7_0_C)

[liberty33r1b]

this is surprising, i never thought she'd do something like that....

[brokenenglish]

I just read that her rep denied this...
anyone else hear that?

[cosmogrl5]

Just as long as she doesn't donate this accessory to Goodwill next season, I am all for it!

[softgrey]

Originally Posted by brokenenglish

I just read that her rep denied this...
anyone else hear that?

i haven't heard anything...
but my gut tells me that this is too odd... even for her...
she's not the type to do things without holding a news conference about it first....

something about this just doesn't ring true to me...