She may be one of the most successful recording artists of all time, but in recent years, Madonna has come to be known for more than being the Material Girl. She’s dedicated herself to helping orphaned children in Malawi. She’s even adopted two children from the African country where some half a million kids have lost parents to AIDS.
Seven years ago, the artist who helped popularize MTV and transform pop with hits like “Like a Virgin,” “Papa Don’t Preach,” “Like a Prayer,” “Vogue” and many others, helped established the charity Raising Malawi to feed, educate and provide health care for the country’s orphans. So far, over 66,000 children and caregivers living with HIV/AIDS, malaria, or other diseases have received life saving treatments and care.
Raising Malawi also partners with non-government organizations that offer families opportunities for sustainability. Today, the organization is working on the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls. The first bricks were laid at the academy a few months ago. The school is set to open next year.
Recently, Madonna pledged to match every contribution made to Raising Malawi, prompting donations to pour in from around the world. Madonna was so shocked by the public outpouring, that she decided to raise the goal and continue matching donations dollar for dollar.
Photo by David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons.