Madonna To Build School For Girls In Malawi
by SARAH NELSON, Contributing Writer
Move over Oprah, here comes Madonna. In the trend of celebrity do-gooders, Madonna is the latest to commit to education in Africa. The Queen of Pop announced on the Raising Malawi website plans to found a school for girls in Malawi as an effort to empower young women to become their nations future leaders. In partnership with the local Malawian Ministry of Education, Raising Malawi School for Girls is set to open in 2011, providing an opportunity of secondary education that is often lost for young girls in the developing world. The school is expected to cost approximately $15 million, and will be open to approximately 500 students it’s first year.
Why Malawi? Besides that fact that Madonna’s two adopted children are from Malawi, the Sub-Saharan African nation is a prime candidate for humanitarian support. With a population of 12 million, Malawi has one of the largest per capita AIDS populations coming in near 12 percent. More than 67,000 people die each year of HIV leaving Malawi with more than 500,000 children left orphaned to the disease. Poverty and disease contribute to the poor provision of education, even at the primary level, creating funding issues for students and a lack of capable teachers.
Raising Malawi is a volunteer organization with a mission to help Malawian orphans by providing food water, medical care and education. The organization was founded in 2006, by Madonna and Michael Berg as an effort eradicate the extreme poverty that victimizes the country’s children. You can get involved with Raising Malawi by spreading awareness about the organization’s work and contributing funding to their cause. Soon, you can take action by purchasing sweet Malawi gear from their store – coming soon. One hundred percent of all proceeds go to support children in Malawi.
Check out Madonna’s blog about Malawi on Huffington Post Impact.
I Live Here is another organization working to improve the lives of orphaned children in Malawi. Check out their work to bring hope to imprisoned orphans in a juvenile prison.
Photo by Adam Sammler, Wikimedia Commons.
- Posted by Causecast
Related causes: Human Rights
Related Articles
-
My Ad Council: Share PSAs Through Social Networking To Make A Daily Difference
The Ad Council has launched a new site targeted at expanding the power of PSAs through social net...
- 11.20.09
- |
- 04:22pm
-
Universal Declaration On Animal Welfare Makes Headway In Canada
Animal activists around the world have been working to implement a Universal Declaration on Anima...
- 11.20.09
- |
- 02:19pm
-
The World's First Sustainable Sushi Restaurant (VIDEO)
In the mood for sushi, but want a sustainable option? Learn about one restaurant that's made the ...
- 11.20.09
- |
- 01:30pm
-
Idealist Launches Global Network
This week, Idealist.org brought their global community to a whole new level when they launched a ...
- 11.20.09
- |
- 01:07pm
-
Gobble Gobble Give: Feeding L.A.'s Homeless For Thanksgiving
Each year, Gobble Gobble Give brings Thanksgiving meals to hundreds of homeless Angelenos. Find o...
- 11.20.09
- |
- 12:16pm
