Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie adopt from Malawi

The worldwide press is having a heyday with the Madonna adoption story so I thought I might as well jump into the fray, too.

In case you’ve somehow managed to avoid following the debacle exciting news over the past few weeks, here are the facts of the case, culled from numerous media reports:

Adopting parents:
Pop star Madonna, 48, and her husband, film director Guy Ritchie, 38.

The Madonna family:
Madonna has two birth children, daughter Lourdes, 10, and son Rocco, 6.

Child being adopted:
David Banda, age 13 months.

Country from which David was adopted:
Malawi

Where in the world is Malawi:
The Republic Malawi is in southeastern Africa, surrounded by Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. It is the tenth poorest country in the world, with a mean income per capita of less than $1 a day. More than 1 million orphans live in Malawi, 700,000 of whom became orphans when their parents died of AIDS.

David’s history:
David’s mother, Marita, died of complications during childbirth. David has spent most of his life in the Home of Hope Orphan Care Centre in the town of Mchinji.

David’s father, Yohane Banda (who earns his living spraying potatoes in fields), says he is too poor to raise David on his own and that he wants Madonna and Guy to adopt his son. In news reports, he insists he wasn't sad to see his son leave because he believes David will ultimately benefit from being adopted.

Madonna’s interest in adopting from Malawi:
After learning of the one million plus orphans in Malawi, Madonna and Guy decided to “open up our home and help one child escape an extreme life of hardship, poverty and in many cases, death, as well as expand our family.”

Madonna says that she and Guy began the adoption process many months ago but chose not to go public with the news, as “this is a private family matter.”

Madonna has pledged $3 million through her Raising Malawi charity to help the country’s orphans.

Controversy surrounding the adoption:
Anything Madonna does is guaranteed to be controversial. But in this case, Madonna and Guy stayed in Malawi only eight days before claiming custody of David, who arrived at their London home Tuesday (October 17, 2006).

Human rights groups are challenging the adoption, claiming that Madonna used her fame to disregard the law. In Malawi, parents who wish to adopt are granted temporary custody and must live in Malawi for 18 months while their fitness to parent is monitored.

Activists claim that Malawi law bans intercountry adoption and that the Madonna adoption sets a precedent which could legalize human trafficking. The judge who granted them interim custody says that the issue of residence is not specified in the laws.

A hearing on the case has been postponed until next Friday (October 27, 2006) so Attorney General Jane Ansah has time to consult with the Ministry of Gender, Child Welfare and Community Services (Ministry of Gender…that’s a new one!).

As it now stands, David will live with Madonna and Guy for 18 months and be monitored by Malawi officials before final approval can be given for him to officially join their family.

 

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Comments

[silkgato1]

I don't understand why the human rights groups are against this adoption. Would they prefer that David stay in Africa and live in sub-human conditions? There are so many children who need homes both domestically and internationally that a child being adopted should be celebrated. The way this adoption is being discussed in the media puts adoption in a negative light. The media should just leave her family alone and let them adjust to their new addition.

[Etiang]

This is unfair and inhuman.If she has a feeling of Africans she could have already denoted part of her weath to help other African children who have been suffering and dying of hunger. Is it logical to use millions of dollars just to adopt only one child. To hire a plane for SA to abroad why couldn't you save that money to assist other suffering Malawian children? Why not adopting to your own country or from your naighboring country! If you had a good history of assisting children of africa you could have been granted as many children as you want. And its un fair if you have used your wealth to influence so that you can adopt the blood of Malawi. we have our own say 'Sometime is better to die while you are still poor than to be mishandled by other'

[Lili]

Madonna is a self-indulgent celebrity and has used this poor boy and his father for her own personal means. Anyone who watched Oprah today would realize that her publicist was spinning the whole thing - she saw what she wanted, is used to getting what she wants, and simply bought it, circumventing the system for her own gain. No doubt the child will receive an incredible upbringing - but the sheer cost of her trip there could have supplied medicine for that orphanage that David lived in for years to come - is that not a better use of resources?

[Sherman]

I think there are a lot of uneducated, bleeding-heart, idiots out there who have no idea of the adoption process or what it is really like to live daily with disease, injustice and extreme poverty.

My sisted adopted a beautiful girl from Russia and that child is absolutely flourishing. If she were still in that orphanage she would either be dead, or sold in illegal street prostitution.

So to all the 'human trafficing' idiots out there: stop advocating something that you have no experience or involvement.