The story of little David Banda really breaks my heart. I was trying hard to be objective and not judge Madonna for whisking this little baby away when she could have easily made it possible for his family to raise him, but after after reading statements from his father, a hardworking simple farmer, I realized how selfish this really is. I honestly got a lump in my throat:
“They said she wanted to adopt and take him to America. They said that she would give him a better life.
“At first I wasn’t very sure. I asked if it meant that I would never see him again.
“They said I would be sent pictures and when David was older he would be able to visit the village.”
“My family and I agreed that this was a very good opportunity for David to get an education and grow up healthy.
“There were some minor disagreements about his Malawian culture but we said yes.”
Yohane had never heard of Madonna, or her raunchy songs. He was told only that she was “a very nice Christian lady“.
“I am a single man with no experience of these things. My in-laws, who live in Zambia, did not want him and my extended family is too poor to take him in.
“I was scared he would die like my other children so I took him where he could be looked after properly. I felt very sore in my heart, but I could think of no other way.
“He was one month and seven days old. The orphanage made me sign a letter to show that I was handing him over to their charge, but I suppose deep in my heart I always imagined that when he was better, or I had got another wife, I would go and take him back. I did not think anyone would want to take him away.
“But I was persuaded by Rev Chipeta. He said that I was to hold fast and not waver in my decision.
“He said many people would come to the village and tell me things but that I should go ahead and let the woman have my son – that it was the best thing for David’s future…”
Meanwhile Yohane still struggles to come to terms with what he has done. He says he has received no money in connection with the adoption of his child, but there is a sense that this committed Christian, who sang with his late wife in the local church choir, has a niggling suspicion that what has happened is not right.
Certainly he has never behaved like a man who willingly abandoned his son.
For the past nine months he has visited his son whenever he could – regularly cycling the 25 miles from his home in the village to the orphanage along treacherous dirt and stone tracks more suited to rugged four wheel drive vehicles.
He said: “I would bring him food from my garden, then sit and play with him for a while. I wanted him to know that I was his father, that I love him very much.
“He is my only child still living and I think of him as a gift from God. He is also the best memory I have left of my wife.”
This man is a committed Christian. How do you think he’s going to feel when he sees pictures from Madonna’s stupid shocking “Sex” book or when someone shows him a Madonna video? Madonna is freaking Jewish, for God’s sake, and she follows an illegitimate offshoot of Judiasm known for being a harmful cult.
Last night while I was at the gym the “Human Nature” video was playing on one of the TVs. I was working out watching it, thinking, “This is the reason why people hate Madonna. This song sucks and the video is lame.”
Commentors on Gossip Rocks note that Oprah helps whole villages and that Madonna could have easily done the same for the Banda’s village, too. Instead she scooped up Yohane Banda’s only child in exchange for building orphanages that will work to indoctrinate vulnerable children into her cult religion.
Madonna actually left Malawi without David, and waited a few days for the paperwork to come through so he could be shipped to her. He flew out on a private jet with a nanny and some bodyguards.
Malawian human rights groups oppose the adoption, and it is thought that Madonna was quick to remove David from the country so that she could avoid a long legal battle for custody. The aging pop star must also apply for adoption rights in England.
Let’s see what kind of stupid Kabbalah name Madonna gives this child. She’s too stubborn to listen to public opinion and do what’s best for the boy. This will ruin her public image for good.
That is disgustin that she would take the baby away. just disgusting. All these fucking rich people think they own the world and can do whatever they want. THat poor poor child. Madge is a CRAZY BITCH!
Thank you for posting this article….
I think so many people think that celebrities are do-gooders when they adopt children from impoverished countries.
There is definitely a lot more information & dynamics than is published in the press.
I believe if a child is a true orphan then it is a great second chance in having an opportunity to be a part of a family, get an education and become established for their future. My friend adopted a little girl from Russia. She was left as a baby at the doorstep of the orphanage with no note or anything to identify her. In this case, I think adoption a viable option.
However, Madonna is not pursuing this adoption with all angles in consideration. She is an “aging” pop star who is grasping to keep her downhill career alive. Her antics with the crucifixation and other tactics are a “_____ you” message to Christians. She was a Christian once and she needs to be respectful to those who are still practicing.
It seems like she wanted to break apart every aspect of the moral fiber of society…but she wants to raise her kids in a sheltered environment. What a hypocrite. I hope some international legal society intervenes and gives Mr. Banda his son back.
She should have adopted an ORPHAN not someone with a dedicated parent. If she loved the child so much she should have given his family money to help them. and then adopted a child who had no one to love them.
Ugg that makes me so upset.
I am personally sick and tired of all these celebs with their money and their connections going around the world and bringing home their cute little babies. I’m not just using the old help your own country argument, but I wish it would become chiq, to adopt older children. SO many older children here as well as in other countres need good homes too. So Madge, Meg and Ang, how about helping out some of the children that are struggling through the system now?
Thank you for being the only site (so far) that points out how selfish these people really are.
I think it’s good when celebrities adopt kids. they will give them incredible opportunities and love (hopefully.) However, if this article is true, and it was known to Madonna that David’s father would rather have raised him himself, then she should have done what Opera does, and helped the village instead and helped David’s father get David back. I’m sure there were babies there in the orphanage, who are parentless through AIDS or other circumstances. She could have chosen one of those kids.
Babies are often given up for adoption when one or both parents cannot afford to raise a child. That does not mean that because the child is not an orphan that no one should adopt them just in case the birth parents change their minds. Any birth parent who gives a child up for adoption is going to wish that they could afford to raise their child themselves but knows that the child will have a better life being raised by someone who has the resources, whether it is a celebrity or anyone else.
Plus, everyone seems to be coming down on Madonna for adopting this child. We don’t know how long she has been wanting to do this or how long she has been going through the process. We don’t even know for sure what the laws are in Malawi. Perhaps we should not be taking rumor as law because who here actually knows Malawi adoption law? None of us. Right now we are taking what we know from gossip magazines which are not known for their honesty.
This may sound awful, but what celebrities really “need” are physically-challenged children, etc, not that they would ever fucking even bother with them. Why? Because they need fucking CHARACTER.
I am sick to death of this. DID YOU SEE PIX OF MADONNA “SHOPPING” FOR A CHILD, looking them over? What are they looking for??? Cuteness. It’s so awful. So, so wrong. Shopping and buying kids now. From Africa, the “hot” country right now.
2 years ago it was Chinese girls.
What’s the next trend in kid traffic? Check People magazine to stay tuned!
So gross. They can help that whole village, yes, but they are not selfless, not Brangelina (I blame her, he just follows like the stupid imp he is). Madonna is trash.
Doesn’t Zahara (Brangelina’s daughter) have a living parent?? I remember her mother coming forward after the adoption.
I don’t think Zahara has a living parent–those stories were made up. As to “Ang”, she not only adopts but also helps other kids and communities so lumping her with Madonna and Meg is not fair.
I don’t like the way Marge was given 12 boys to choose from, like picking a dress in a department store. She could have chosen another child, with no living parents too but then some other relatives could have come forward claiming the same. I do, however, feel bad for this father. Sure, the kid is going to be better off, materially at least, but it’s not worth breaking up a family. This guy sounds like he was pressured by others and his own sad situation into this. All I’m saying is that if she cared for the kid, she would have helped the father and chose another child to adopt. I wonder if she knew the story back then or she was just told the child was up for adoption, period.
yes, yes, YES ertarox. it’s too bad that celebrities don’t try to adopt disabled kids in wheelchairs or kids with physical problems. think about it, celebrities would be able to equip them with things to make their lives easier (electric wheelchairs, a high-tech bathroom to make bathing easy, a big car with a ramp to get into…) They would also be able to raise awareness about certain diseases and disabilites, instead of making “cute african babies” a TREND.
i do think, though, that i’m going to have to favor Angelina Jolie in this a little bit more.. when she adopted Zahara, she claimed that she did not know/care if she had aids and didn’t even bother to have her tested until after she brought her home. If it’s true, then it’s a nice thing to hear.
What exactly makes this child’s life better with Madonna? That he’ll have money and get an education? Okay, but she could have set up a trust fund to ensure that happened for him without taking him from Malawi. She could have provided him the opportunity to grow up within his culture, with his father and extended family, for a small amount of money. I think it is awful to grow up in the spotlight like so many stars’ children do. To be raised by nannies, bodyguards and personal assistants with all the eyes of the world on you and pressure to fit a mold…its an awful life. I think Madonna should have supported David, much like a godparent would, groomed him to become a leader in his community and do good things for Malawi. That would have made a difference. Now he won’t relate to Malawi or even the family he came from and will have little motivation to contribute to that society. All so Madonna can have a new “pet” to keep her entertained.
all i have to say is “i hope she rots is hell” That rich fucking “CUNT”
I disagree with all of you. I think the kid’s definitely better off with Madge (note the spelling Millie…Marge is the chick from the Simpsons).
So how many children did Yohane have that died on him before David was put in an orphanage???
Madonna’s a fraud. She’s just jumping on the celebrity adoption bandwagon for the good she thinks it does her image. I don’t believe she has an altruistic bone in her body and think its the ultimate expression of her egotism (which apparently, is legendary). Poor child.
Caz- According to reports, Yohane had two children die from malaria before the birth of his son. His wife died shortly after giving birth to little David. And his father thought he might have malaria too so he took him to the orphanage. I didn’t know about the visits, how sad that his son will leave his country.
since when is it a crime to adopt I have herd stories of kids in foster care for years unable to be adpted because their parents wont give up their rights iven if they cant actually take care of them marilyn monroe for example was a foster kid could have been adoped had a normal life but look where she ended up critice others for adoping you seemed like the kind that would only love your own blood kids you admire jennifer aniston so much tell her to have her own then whiny bitch
I think Madonna is completely out of order!!
Yohane Banda has been lied to “a really nice christian lady” my arse!!! Now Yohane has had his only connection with his wife taken away from him think how unhappy he is feeling!!!
I hate Madonna for doin this!!
She could at least of had the decensy to fly over with him rather than send a few body guards and ananny coz she couldn’t be bothered movin her lazy arse!!!!!!