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18
April 2007
Madonna
Visits Adoption
Orphanage
Madonna
has visited the
orphanage in Malawi
where the young boy she
is in the process of
adopting used to
live.
Children
at the church-run Home
of Hope orphanage sang
and recited lessons for
the pop star, while her
daughter, Lourdes, took
video
footage.
But
there was unrest outside
as orphans and police
tried to stop
journalists gaining
access to the
facility.
Madonna,
48, has denied reports
that she plans to adopt
a second African child
during her
visit.
The
singer is believed to
have brought
one-year-old David Banda
to the orphanage in
Mchinji, a village near
the Zambian border, to
meet his biological
father.
Apparently
seeking to fulfil the
orphanage's pledge that
the visit would be
conducted in private,
police prevented
reporters from following
Madonna's convoy into
the compound.
According
to some reports,
journalists were also
confronted by school
children who threw
stones at
them.
But
on leaving the
orphanage, Madonna posed
for photographs, holding
hands with Lourdes and
with David in her
arms.
The
US pop star sparked
controversy when she
adopted David, now 18
months old, in
2006.
He
is now living with
Madonna and her family
in London, after she was
granted an interim
custody
order.
Under
the court order, David
can live with the singer
for 18 months, during
which time his progress
will be reviewed by
Malawi
officials.
A
High Court ruling allows
a coalition of human
rights groups to monitor
the adoption.
According
to her spokeswoman,
Madonna is visiting
Malawi to "oversee the
building of a children's
healthcare
centre".
The
singer helped set up the
Raising Malawi charity,
which aims to provide
accommodation, food,
education and other
support to orphans in
the country.
Last
year, she said she would
donate $3m (£1.5m)
to the country via the
organisation.
On
Monday, she toured
UN-backed development
projects in Mtanga,
where farmers are being
helped to grow maize and
start fish
farming.
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