International pop star Madonna wants to adopt two more children from the southern African nation of Malawi.
Judiciary Spokesperson Mlenga Mvula told Associated Press on Wednesday that Madonna has filed for the adoption of two more children from Malawi.
He has declined to disclose the name of the children saying some issues governing adoption process are confidential in order to protect the interests of the children.
If it is true that Madonna will adopt two more children, besides the involvement of the courts, the current guardians of the children and the Ministry of Gender and Children Affairs will also be party to the process.
Adoption:True or false?
While the local and international media is awash with stories of Madonna’s intention to adopt two children US Magazine on its website reported that, the pop star has not applied to adopt children from Malawi.
“I am in Malawi to check on the children’s hospital in Blantyre and my other work with Raising Malawi, and then heading home,” she tells Us Weekly in a statement. “The rumors of an adoption process are untrue.”
Madonna, who in 2008 adopted David Banda and a year later adopted Mercy James, has for some years maintained a good working relationship with Malawi following the creation of her charity, Raising Malawi.
Besides adopting children, the international pop star is supporting the construction of a 50-bed children ward at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in the commercial city of Blantyre.
“The new pediatric surgery and intensive care unit will have an enormous impact on saving the lives of children,” said Madonna after visiting the construction site last year.
The pop diva said she would fight hard to ensure that the unit has the equipment and is fully operational by this year.
The children’s unit is a 50-bed ward and will enable the hospital to increase the number of surgeries for children at the hospital by almost 100 percent.
Due to Madonna good relationship with Malawi’s top leadership, two years ago President Peter Mutharika appointed her as Malawi’s Ambassador for Child Welfare.
Prior to Mutharika’s ascendance to power, Madonna had a stormy relationship with Malawi’s ex-president Joyce Banda who stripped the pop star’s VIP status in Malawi.
Banda accused Madonna of being bad-mannered celebrity who was using her wealth and charity to press for everlasting gratitude from Malawians simply because she adopted two children.
Madonna inspiration
Way back in 2006 Madonna once revealed why she decided to adopt children from Malawi.
“To see 8-year-olds in charge of households. To see mothers dying, with Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions all over their bodies. To see open sewages everywhere. To see what I saw. It is a state of emergency. As far as I’m concerned, the adoption laws have to be changed to suit that state of emergency,” she said at the time. “I think if everybody went there, they’d want to bring one of those children home with them and give them a better life.”
Madonna also bemoaned the slow process of adopting children in Malawi.
“I assure you it doesn’t matter who you are or how much money you have, nothing goes fast in Africa,” she explained.
Besides the adopted children, Madonna is a biological mother to Rocco and Lourdes.