Posts Tagged ‘Malawi’

Update: CBB commentors have made us aware that Yohane makes money by giving interviews to the press about David. While some news outlets have refused to pay, others have. To read more about this, click here.

Originally posted 11 am: The adoption drama for Madonna continues. The popstar’s new son’s biological father reportedly wants to know how his son, 1-year-old David, is doing with Madonna and her family.

"I don’t have her phone and mailing addresses. All I want is to find out how my son is but I don’t know how I can do it," Yohane Banda told Malawi’s Daily Times newspaper. "I only talked to her once at the  High Court and I want to talk to her now and find out about my child." 

Madonna’s adoption is not completely official yet. She signed interim adoption papers, allowing David to stay with her for 18 months under the watchful eye of Malawian officials, who will then decide whether he can stay with the Ritchies.

For more on David, click here.

Source: Reuters

by auditioning contributor Sarah M.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s adoption of David Banda, 1, is already being looked into by human rights groups in Malawi, David‘s country of birth. Now there’s yet another obstacle for Madonna.  To circumcise the tot or not?

Even though the adoption has not been finalized, Madonna considers David her new son, and so she wants to raise him following Kabbalah custom. Kabbalah  follows Jewish practices and for David to be considered Jewish, David will need to be circumcised.

David’s biological father, Yohanna Banda, 32, has already had David baptized as a Christian.  He said, “This goes against the Christian religion and is not something we would ever consider in Africa. We don’t ever get circumcised here. I would urge her to think again.”

In November, Madonna said “I’m going to adopt another Malawian child very quickly. A baby girl this time, in order to redress the balance.” So, the public criticism and legal battle seems to be worth it!

In the western world, at least In the United States, newborn boys are typically circumcised in the hospital before they go home.  The procedure is done for medical/traditional reasons, not religious.  Jewish baby boys (of observant families) are usually circumcised when they are eight days old as part of a ceremony called the brit milah (or bris). 

If you are a Christian, did you circumcise your son?  If so, why do you think David’s father said it "goes against the Christian religion"? (According to wikipedia, the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord is a Feast Day celebrated on January 1, commemorating the circumcision of Christ.)

Also, if this story is true, do you think it’s right for Madonna to circumcise David now?

Circumcision is a very controversial topic.  You are welcome to express your views but please be respectful of other people’s decisions.

Source:  The Sun Online , Photo: People, with permission

Update:
According to the Associated Press, who spoke to representatives in the Malawi government, an interim order has been issued, allowing Madonna to take the one year old David home and adoption papers have been filed in court. 

Penston Kilimbe, director of child welfareservices in the Ministry of Gender, Child Welfare and CommunityServices, said, "They have followed the normal processes. This has beengoing on for some time. Now this is the completion point."

Madonna has a charity called Raising Malawi that is in the process of setting up an orphanage for up to 4,000 children.  Among its teachings and projects will be Kabbalah.

There is some controversy because Malawian interest groups feel that local adoptions are preferred to international ones.  However, as Jackie Schoeman, the executive director Cotlands, a South African organizationthat cares for children affected by HIV, said, "Ifthe only other option is for them to be in a long-term institution thenwe would consider international adoption."

What do you think?  Should American celebrities adopt internationally?

Originally posted October 11:
Despite claims by Madonna’s publicist that she hasn’t adopted any children, a Malawi man is claiming that Madonna adopted his son David.  Yohame Banda says that the baby’s mother died a month after giving birth to him a year ago and had been living at the Home of Hope OrphanCare Center in Mchinji, near the Zambian border.  Says Yohame, "I am very, very happy because, asyou can see, there is poverty in this village, and I know he will bevery well looked after in America."

The baby’s grandmother said, "Thedirector of the orphanage came here yesterday and told us that Davidhas been adopted by a famous American singer. I am very glad for himbecause having grown up as an orphan myself, I know how tough life canbe." 

The director of the orphanage, Reverend Thompson John Chipeta, refuses to speak to the media.

Source: New York Post, Page Six and Associated Press

According to Reuters, the "Material Girl" adopted a young boy from the African nation of Malawi today. The report, filed on CNN, had the following news:

Government officials said the 48-year-old singer, already a mother of two, chose the one-year-old orphan from among 12 children specially chosen prior to her arrival in the country, which has legions of children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.

"She asked us to identify boys only, which we have done after visiting four orphanages in Lilongwe," government spokeswoman Adrina Michiela said. Michiela said Madonna had wanted to adopt a girl but changed her mind two weeks ago.

However, according to People magazine’s website, Madonna’s publicist has denied the story:

I can confirm Madonna is in Malawi on a private visit," the singer’s publicist, Liz Rosenberg, tells PEOPLE. "She is building an orphanage and child care center and is involved in other initiatives geared toward helping children orphaned by AIDS through the Raising Malawi organization. She has not adopted a baby, despite reports that she has."