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Madonna adopts mud hut baby
The Daily Telegraph ^ | October 13, 2006 | David Blair

Posted on 10/12/2006 11:29:04 PM PDT by MadIvan

A boy from an isolated village in Malawi's rugged bush was handed into the care of Madonna yesterday when a judge approved the pop star's adoption papers.

David Banda was born in a mud hut 18 months ago. His mother, Marita, gave birth without a nurse or medical equipment, save for a plastic sheet. She died days later.

The High Court in Malawi's capital, Lilongwe, plucked David from his home village of Lipunga, where children in rags play in the dust beside women pounding maize, and gave him a symbol of Western popular culture for a foster mother.

Mr Justice Andrew Nyirenda granted Madonna an "interim order" allowing her to take the boy into custody. Today David is expected to leave Malawi with Madonna and her husband, the British film director Guy Ritchie, for London where he will start a life with her other children, Lourdes, nine, and Rocco, six.

Madonna and Ritchie recently admitted having had marital problems and insiders have speculated that an addition to the family will give their rocky relationship a fresh start.

David's father, Yohame Banda, 32, met his son's prospective foster parents during the court proceedings. Afterwards, he told journalists that he was "happy" that David would escape Malawi's grinding poverty.

Mr Banda added that he knew little about the boy's foster mother. "I'm not aware of Madonna. I don't know her. All I know is that she'll give my son a better life," he said. Mr Banda spoke at his home Lipunga, 120 miles west of Lilongwe. The border with Zambia runs along a range of hills behind his village and its people walk into the neighbouring country at will. While Mr Banda is a Malawian, David was born in Zambia to a Zambian mother.

Mr Banda, who was abandoned by his own father as a boy, was raised by Lipunga's chief, Henderson Geza.

"A few days after giving birth, David's mother died," said Mr Geza, 69. "Because of our poverty, we were unable to support the child. So we decided to send him to an orphanage."

David entered Home of Hope orphanage, about 40 miles from Lipunga. Madonna arrived in Malawi last Wednesday to help charities serving children who lost their parents to Aids. She visited this orphanage last week.

A teacher at Home of Hope said Madonna met David last Friday. "She was carrying the baby. She was smiling and she was saying 'ah, beautiful'," he said.

Then Mr Banda was informed that an "American woman" would like to adopt his son. Mr Geza said: "He said, 'I gave my son to the orphanage because I could not take care of him, so I would like him to be adopted'. I said, 'If that is what you want then, as your chief and as your stepfather, I give you my permission'."

Mr Banda told the chief that she was a "respectable American lady". Madonna's name was unknown to them.

"We were very happy," said Mr Geza. "We read the Bible and we thought 'this is coming from God'."

Yet for almost 40 years, Malawian law has banned foreigners from adopting children. Section Three of the Children Adoption Act states that an "adoption order shall not be made" in favour of anyone residing outside the country.

In 1993, however, Malawi signed the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. This says under article 21 that "inter-country adoption may be considered".

The government has agreed in principle to amend the Adoption Act and bring it into line with the convention. In its ruling yesterday, the High Court appeared to give the convention precedence over Malawian law.

But the people of Lipunga care little for legal niceties and wish David well.

"Here we are poor and we don't have enough food," said his cousin, Alex Phiri, 17. "Now David can make a bright future."


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: africawatch; madonna; malawi; mudhutbabylotterywin; publicity
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I liked the title of this article.

Regards, Ivan

1 posted on 10/12/2006 11:29:05 PM PDT by MadIvan
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To: Mrs Ivan; odds; DCPatriot; Deetes; Barset; fanfan; LadyofShalott; Tolik; mtngrl@vrwc; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 10/12/2006 11:29:20 PM PDT by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: MadIvan
Man, Hollywood has a generous bunch don't they?

Mr Banda told the chief that she was a "respectable American lady". Madonna's name was unknown to them.

"We were very happy," said Mr Geza. "We read the Bible and we thought 'this is coming from God'."


I'm not into pop culture, but doesn't Madonna try and market herself as an anti-Christ?
3 posted on 10/12/2006 11:34:06 PM PDT by proud_yank (Socialism - An Answer In Search Of A Question For Over 100 Years)
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To: MadIvan

These celebs are starting to adopt African babies like they're the new Paris Hilton-style handbag chihuahuas. I'm all for adoption, but this seems like more of a fad than an act of love.


4 posted on 10/12/2006 11:35:36 PM PDT by Junior_G
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To: proud_yank

um...i was just thinking...from a mud hut to a child of a sl..well...you know. she is pig.


5 posted on 10/12/2006 11:37:20 PM PDT by ferri (Be Politically Incorrect: Support the Constitution!)
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To: MadIvan
"respectable American lady".

Hardly.

6 posted on 10/12/2006 11:42:10 PM PDT by Dustbunny (The BIBLE - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)
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To: All

I feel bad for that mud hut baby. I bet Madonna is an icky mom.


7 posted on 10/12/2006 11:42:13 PM PDT by momof9
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To: momof9
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
8 posted on 10/12/2006 11:44:03 PM PDT by momof9
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To: MadIvan

If the state were truly compassionate, it would return the mud hut baby to its mud hut. Nothing could be worse than being Madonna's kid.


9 posted on 10/12/2006 11:45:28 PM PDT by Alter Kaker ("Whatever tears one sheds, in the end one always blows one's nose." - Heine)
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To: ferri

She is pretty odd. Money is nice, but I would not like to be raised in a home like that.


10 posted on 10/12/2006 11:45:49 PM PDT by proud_yank (Socialism - An Answer In Search Of A Question For Over 100 Years)
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To: momof9

"I feel bad for that mud hut baby. I bet Madonna is an icky mom."

Don't feel bad. He will be taken care of 99% of the time by the nanny. Besides it could have been worse -- he could have been adopted by Michael Jackson.


11 posted on 10/12/2006 11:45:56 PM PDT by Kirkwood
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To: Kirkwood

lol true. *shudder*


12 posted on 10/12/2006 11:50:35 PM PDT by ferri (Be Politically Incorrect: Support the Constitution!)
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To: proud_yank

There's also this little matter that Mr. Madonna aka film-maker Guy Ritchie, is against this stunt.


13 posted on 10/12/2006 11:51:55 PM PDT by sinanju (s)
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To: MadIvan
I liked the title of this article.

He'll fit right in with the rest of the family.

14 posted on 10/12/2006 11:52:22 PM PDT by GVnana (Former Alias: GVgirl)
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To: All
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting I wonder what those kids are thinking?
15 posted on 10/12/2006 11:53:36 PM PDT by momof9
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To: Junior_G

It is the latest must have Hollywood accessory as Rush said the other day. (Not meant to offend , but just an astute observation on his part)


16 posted on 10/12/2006 11:54:38 PM PDT by HarmlessLovableFuzzball
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To: MadIvan
I liked the title of this article.

I don't.

17 posted on 10/12/2006 11:56:16 PM PDT by paulat
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To: paulat
I don't.

Suit yourself. To me it indicates how the Hollywood folk are treating these kids like they're Cabbage Patch dolls.

Regards, Ivan

18 posted on 10/12/2006 11:57:59 PM PDT by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: Junior_G

I don't see them adopting American disabled babies.

That would be nice.

So this lil guy is going to go from eating maize to eating tofu.

God Bless the lil bambino.

I hope Maddonna comes back to her Catholic Faith someday.


19 posted on 10/12/2006 11:58:31 PM PDT by Global2010 (Lifting Fatima and all her merciful needs up to you Marion. St. Kolbe hear our intentions.)
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To: MadIvan
I liked the title of this article.

Yep.

I liked this part, too...

"We read the Bible and we thought 'this is coming from God'."

20 posted on 10/12/2006 11:59:15 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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