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Madonna Drops Malawi Girls School Over Land Dispute
Posted on Fri Feb 18, 2011 11:35 AM PDT
This is a total bummer!
While it seemed Madonna's girls-only school in Malawi had been given the green light, it was discovered recently the Material Girl abandoned her plans to continue with the project, because some 200 African villagers are unwilling to part with the land it’s been designated to build on.
Although the Malawi government backed the $15 million project, which will provide advanced schooling for 500 girls from underprivileged backgrounds, local villagers say they laid claim to the land long before Madonna's school construction was revealed, and are unwilling to give it up at any price.
To keep the project running, the government offered the villagers new property to live on, and Madonna has even paid them compensation, more than 16 million kwacha (about $115,000), for their houses, gardens and trees.
Lilongwe District Commissioner Charles Kalemba, accompanied by other government officials and representatives from Madonna's Raising Malawi charity, called a meeting with the villagers, and told them they will have to vacate. Kalemba said:
- "Government allowed you to occupy this land because there was no project yet. But now that Madonna wants to build you a school you have to give way. You are lucky that Madonna has compensated you for your houses, gardens and trees."
Despite the fact the villagers have been told this school will greatly benefit their children, the people are unwilling to leave land that has been in their family for several generations. The property is simply worth more to them than money, or a school for girls.
Until the dispute can be settled, the new leader of Madonna's project says the singer will continue to fund projects to build many more schools, with other educational groups.
We hope Madonna and the villagers can work it out!
Madonna has adopted two children from Malawi, David and Mercy, so she holds the locations close to her heart. For two years, she tried to adopt Mercy and although a lower court denied the adoption, saying the pop star hadn't lived in Malawi long enough, she was able to add the little girl to her family in the end.
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Comments
there is way more space out there. why is madonna so fixated on that particular space. she just wants to get her way and is taking advantage of people's poverty to pay her way through. just like the little boy she adopted that had a family. she had to get THAT boy why couldn't she adopt one that didn't have a family. but no she had to get her way again. and she tried to make his father feel guilty by telling him oh you should be lucky im offering your son a bettter life or telling the villagers you should be lucky you're being compensated for houses and gardens (assuming she could just take the land away if she wanted to)
OP at 2:51, you are a complete MORON! You think that you can build a school anywhere? You need to build where there are PEOPLE who can USE the freaking thing! How is she taking advantage of their poverty by trying to give their children an education???
Also, those children she adopted have NO real families. Their families are drug-addicted losers who only come forward wanting attention once they think they can get money from you.
Wow you are freaking stupid, if someone was trying to build a school for your kids you would probably think they were trying to take advantage of you!
You should move to that P.O.S. village and live there with the other idiots. You could be their leader!
@ 2:51 poster...
Madonna didn't "tell the villagers they should be lucky...". Maybe you need to go back to school and learn reading and comprehension. Additionally, how do you know they weren't just trying to boost her price, which was probably way more money then they will ever see in their lives?
See below:
Kalemba said:
"Government allowed you to occupy this land because there was no project yet. But now that Madonna wants to build you a school you have to give way. You are lucky that Madonna has compensated you for your houses, gardens and trees."
Get it now?
Hmmm Madonna needs some help from Shakira
Call her Madge!
She already build schools and donated her non profit song Waka Waka to Africa (now 10 centres build ,10 will)
Her new school in Haiti
One brick isn't a school!