The head of a Malawian orphanage refuted reports on Monday that Madonna was to adopt a young girl from her children’s home as the United States pop diva flew into the Southern African country.
British newspaper the Sun reported that the London-based singer wanted to adopt a three-year-old girl called Grace from the Consol Home as a sister to one-year-old David, whom she was given custody of last year.
However, Yacinta Chapomba, founder of the Consol Home near the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, flatly denied the possibility that Madonna would adopt a second child from her orphanage.
”We have no Grace here. We don’t know how the rumour started, but our daycare centres don’t encourage adoption. We never allow any of our children to be adopted,” she said. ”Probably the rumour started about Grace because of our partnership with Madonna after she funded the construction of this centre.”
Madonna’s spokesperson has also denied that the singer is planning to adopt another child. ”Madonna is going to Africa to continue her work with the Raising Malawi organisation,” Liz Rosenberg said. ”She is overseeing the building of a children’s healthcare centre. She is absolutely not adopting another baby.”
Madonna’s Malawian attorney, Alan Chinula, said he was not in the loop about any plans to adopt a Malawian girl. ”I have not been given any instructions. I don’t know anything.”
The singer arrived in Malawi on Monday morning with David and was whisked away to an exclusive lodge where she will be staying.
Consol Home, in Maphundla, about 50km from Lilongwe, looks after more than 8 000 orphans in scores of villages in the area.
Madonna’s son David is expected to meet his biological father during the three-day visit. — Sapa-AFP