Madonna plans 10 schools in Malawi - with new partner
Singer has already lost millions on project, but is persevering and hopes the new schools will educate at least 1,000 children a year
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Madonna has announced plans to build 10 new schools in Malawi with a new partner after mismanagement forced the pop star to scrap her first project there last year.
The singer, who has adopted two children from the impoverished southern African nation, said she hoped the 10 new schools would educate at least 1,000 children a year, half of them girls.
That is double the number of children she hoped to help with her previously planned academy for girls, which was scrapped in March 2011 because of mismanagement and cost overruns.
Madonna said her Raising Malawi charity was teaming up this time with the non-profit group buildOn, which has constructed 54 primary schools in Malawi in the last 19 years.
"I am excited that with the help of buildOn, we can maintain our ongoing commitment to move forward efficiently. We now will be able to serve twice as many children as we would have served with our old approach," Madonna said in a statement.
"I have learned a great deal over the last few years and feel confident that we can reach our goals to educate children in Malawi, especially young girls, in a much more practical way. Constructing smaller schools in partnership with buildOn has restored my faith that we can accomplish what we promised we would," she added.
Madonna's earlier plan to build a state of the art girls school for about 400 girls just outside the Malawi capital Lilongwe collapsed last year, and the board of her Raising Malawi charity was fired.
The New York Times said at the time that $3.8 million had been spent on the school with little to show for it.
The singer has lent $11 million to the organization which she co-founded in 2006.
Malawi has more than half a million children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic and is ranked by the United Nations as one of the world's 20 least developed countries.
Madonna's plans for new schools came at the start of a busy week for the singer, actress and director. Her new movie "W.E", which she wrote and directed, opens in U.S. movie theatres on Friday, she is performing at Sunday's halftime show at the 2012 Super Bowl, and will release the first single from her upcoming new album on Feb 3.
samsam
thank madona and Winfrey you are good ambassadorsmy question is all these black american idiots who make lot of money through music of which are supported by africa what does it tell us, soon when they are broke they start thinking about Africa
what has JZ done with his money, Tyson, 50c, Whitney, atlist Jackson made contribution to Mandela childrens funds
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leShandis
- well done to people like madonna, oprah, many church ministries that go around the world building hospitals, schools, supplying food etc, God Bless you....- perhaps our problem is that we look at other people who have lots of money and we begin to think for them what should they do with their money......but before we say that or think of saying that, individuals should ask themselves, what can i do for the people....how can i help....
- You dont have to build a school, maybe buy uniform for a child, maybe pay school fees for some children not able to go to school because at home they cant afford.....maybe help with grocer for a family that is in need of food....little things....lets not point fingers to other people coz they have money and automatically they are pressed to do things for the world.....ask yourselves first, you contribute first, out of the goodness of your heart, not because you have money or you wanna show off, but simple out of love.....
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ManInTheMirror
if we want to point fingers...it should be all 10 fingers pointed at the governents of the different countries. Africa is a rich continent, but yet many people are struggling. What are the leaders doing for the development of the continent? Madonna and Oprah are a bonus to the continent and we appreciate their contributions.Report Abuse