Madonna in Malawi

From the beginning of Madonna's involvement in Malawi's concerns, she has been criticized for every action she has taken on there, whether it was making a film (if you click the link, do not enlarge the browser site; it is impossible to view it then) about its situation or adopting a child. Picking holes in the latter is particularly unfair and prejudicial, because what she had done was actually saving lives of two kids that by now would have died without her help.

Despite being under fire, Madonna has not given up and still supports the impoverished country in its development. She flied there on the Easter Monday with her oldest daughter Lourdes (13) and the adopted one - Mercy (3). She had some conversations with local politics and heads of the organizations supporting Malawi, she also visited some financed by her orphanages and, what is uppermost, she laid the first brick at the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls. It bore words: "Raising Malawi Academy for Girls", the date of laying the brick (April 6, 2010) and the motto "Dare to Dream". Here is Madonna's view on the event.

The $15 million Raising Malawi Academy for Girls is Madonna's newest educational project in this country. The school, which will be available only for girls, is set to be open in 2011 and will be attented by 450 orphaned children. Moreover, the telecommunications giant Ericsson will provide 11 African country with computers and the Internet connection, Malawi and the "Madonna's" academy included.

Madonna left Malawi on the 9th April, promising she would visit the country, calling it "my second home", twice a year.

TO HELP MALAWI AS WELL, JUST GO TO THIS SITE: http://www.raisingmalawi.org/pages/take-action

Why Madonna? / The very beginning

After several non-emotional posts, it is time to change the official mood of this blog and throw aside presenting just the sheer facts about Madonna's actions. Not forever, of course, I am not going to completely abandon updating the site with news, but now my posts will be more personal. I think I will write a couple (well, a bit more than that as I still cannot fit myself in a few hundred) of words, in which I will reveal more about my "illness".

First of all, if two years ago someone had told me that in a few months I would be a huge fan of Madonna, I would have laughed them off. At that time I knew and really liked only a few of her songs and associated her mainly with her disco era, pink/purple outfits and a lot of scandals. Although I appreciated her as the Queen of Pop, she had never impressed me enough to become really interesting for me.

I changed my mind on the 28th August 2008, when my father took me to her concert in Berlin. I do not remember the whole show now, but I can see some moments very vividly and one of them is the beginning. The lights were off, the intro was running and I, without any special feelings, was waiting for Madonna to appear. I was surprised with the full-of-tension-and-excitement atmosphere in the Olimpia Stadium, because what I was thinking at that time was that she was just a person (well, not anymore lol. Now when someone says it I am rather like 'Who told you that?'). And although not so much to made me yell and scream, the mood started to affect me as well, especially when the screen was slowly turning, when I finally could see her sitting on a throne and when the whole stadium went mad clapping and shouting. That was an awakening experience - I had never assumed that one person can be adored so greatly.

I also enjoyed the other songs, such as Into the Groove, when Madonna was doing a jump rome extravaganza - she was simultaneously dancing and double-dutch jumping rope. That convinced me that she has an enviable stamina, which allowed her to do an amazing show, different from other artists'; there are not many people who sing and dance at the same time, because it is very exhausting and may prevent singing in tune.

However, above all, I was impressed with her personality and charisma, visible throughout the whole show, because of which I has probably become a fan of her. One word, one move or one smile and 50,000 people are screaming. Incredible.

After the concert I read her short biography (again being impressed - this woman could erase half of her achievements and the remainings still would be overwhelming!) and listened to hundreds of the old songs, which resulted in realisation that although I had not known their titles before, some of them were already my favourites. And that is when I fell in entirely and it seems like I am not going to be healed soon.