Maddona and Malawi: Trapped in Transition

So the story is out, Madonna plans to go on Oprah tomorrow to talk about the baby that she adopted from Malawi. Why is everyone all up in arms about Madonna adopting David Banda?

I understand what many people are saying about the fact that Madonna has money and therefore privilege and was able to side step the system but she's helping a young boy in need. In fact, according to her she has been on this quest privately for more than a year. Madonna helped the country of Malawi by building hospitals and orphanages and has vowed to be a benefactor to this impoverished nation. She has put her money where her mouth is.

Why does everyone want her to take the child back? Back to poverty, sickness and very little education. Like Anjolina Jolie, Madonna has promised to ensure that the baby knows of his Malawian roots. She has vowed to take him back to the country and hopes to be even more beneficent to the people there. She even sat with his father Yohane during the adoption court procedures.

Nevertheless, people from all over the world are speaking out and saying that she shouldn't have taken this boy from his surroundings.

I look at the possibility and the opportunities that exist. In doing research, I discovered that this boy's two other brothers both died of malaria his mother also died leaving his widowed father to fin for the family alone. The father not knowing anything else put the baby in an orphanage and though he visited him frequently he knew that a better life existed if the child was adopted. In fact, the father even tried to get other relatives in Zambia and neighboring villages to take the boy but no one was interested. Now, that an international superstar has stepped in to help – everyone has something to say.

Young David will be well-educated about his country and the ways of the west, he will be cared for as Madonna's own son and optimistically he will go back as an educated son of Malawi to help that country realize its full potential. More than an adoption this is opportunity.

This is somewhat personal for me, because one of my goals is to adopt a child from an African nation, as my own. This charge on my life was prompted by an article I read in Essence magazine. The article told of one young girl who at age 12 was taking care all of her younger brothers and sisters because her entire family had been wiped out by HIV-AIDS. Here in America, if something tragic happens to a child’s family, there are a great deal of services and programs to help that child into maturity. These things don't exist in Africa. I wonder if when I'm financially and emotionally ready to adopt a child whether I will go to the same struggles as Madonna.

I hope that when Madonna goes on the Oprah Winfrey Show, people see her as a caring loving woman who wants to give love to the world. Even the boy's father was initially accepting of his son going to the west. Now these so-called human rights groups have poisoned the father into questioning his decision.

It's not so bad that this child has a chance to transcend his surroundings and truly be a citizen of the world. If no one else is stepping up to the plate then get out of the way and allow this boy to experience his destiny.