Madonna ‘took Disneyland’ to Malawi
The ‘Celebration’ singer Madonna flew to Malawi yesterday - where she was joined by daughter Lourdes, 13, son Rocco, nine, and her two adopted Malawian children, David and Mercy, both four – with so many toys, bouncy castles and rocking horses that amazed onlookers joked their Kumbali Lodge apartment resembled the famous theme park.
One local resident said: “It’s like Disneyland has come here.”
The 51-year-old singer has returned to the country for a week-long break, starting with the official opening of her charity’s school, the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, in Lilongwe later today.
She said: “It’s an honour for me to be able to help as many of these girls as I can achieve their dreams. I’m also incredibly proud of all the projects Raising Malawi is involved in and I look forward to visiting a number of them during my visit.”
Madonna apparently wanted to wait until her two youngest children were fluent in the local language, Chichewa, until she took them back to their home country.
When David struggled to converse with his old friends on their last visit, Madonna embarked them on a course of intense schooling.
During the visit, the singer will take the children back to spend time with their biological families, including Mercy’s father James Kambewa.
It was recently reported the songstress was keen for her daughter to bond with her 24-year-old father – who was opposed to the adoption – and hopes he will play a role in the youngster’s life.
A source said: “Madonna wants Mercy to learn all about her culture and the community where she was born. She realises her kids need a sense of home and she's determined to do all she can to give that to them. She doesn't want to deny Mercy anything in life - and that includes meeting her dad if that's possible."
