Madonna sets trust for Mercy James

Agencies / May 11, 2009

As pop superstar Madonna's desperate attempts to adopt four-year-old Malawian girl seem to go in vain, the star has decided to set up a trust fund for a better upbringing of Mercy James. 

The 50-year-old star is working with her lawyers to set up a trust fund to pay for Mercy's schooling and travel even if the Malawian Supreme Court's awaited verdict goes against her, the British tabloid ‘News of the World’ reported. "Madonna loves Mercy. She wants to be part of her life and provide for her. She wants to make sure Mercy has everything she needs in life and her dreams are fulfilled," a source told the newspaper. 

The 'Material Girl' singer is reportedly making sure that the man claiming to be Mercy's gather, James Kambewa does not get his hands on the money. Madonna's adoption bid was turned down by a local malawian court last month on the grounds that prospective parents have to reside in the country for 18 to 24 months before the adoption takes place. 

The star went ahead and appealed the Supreme Court of the African country which is yet to give it's final verdict.

Source: http://www.news.google.com

Madonna’s dressing may cost her Malawian kid adoption bid

ANI / May 06, 2009

Madonna may have jeopardised her chances of adopting a second Malawian child after sporting a “slut look” at an event, sparking speculation about her morality. 

The Queen of Pop, who has been trying to adopt four-year-old Mercy James, turned up at the red carpet in a navy blue wench-inspired mini, kinky thigh-high PVC boots, and jewelled black fingerless gloves. While fashion experts said that the singer looked like “a slutty cleaning lady”, Mercy’s father James Kambewa dubbed her racy outfit as “immoral dressing”. 

“I cannot imagine how this woman can want to be the mother of my Mercy. This can’t be a woman of 50. A teenage woman would feel ashamed in that gear,” the ‘Daily Star’ quoted him as saying. 

“A woman is supposed to be a role model for her daughters. What morals can a woman of 50 have, who has no qualms in showing her delicate parts and displaying herself like that in front of her children? “I don’t want my daughter anywhere near such a moral-less person,” he added. 

Madonna’s adoption bid had been rejected by a court because she was not a Malawi resident, a requirement that was waived when she adopted three-year-old David Banda from the African country in 2006. The 50-year-old’s lawyer had lodged an appeal to overturn the judge’s decision.

Source: http://www.screenindia.com

Madonna Adoption Try Tug Of War

Her Lawyer Tells "Early Show" It's Too Late Girl's Supposed Father To Seek Custody

BLANTYRE / Malawi, May 5, 2009

(CBS) It's now a waiting game for Madonna. The pop star's appeal of a court ruling against her attempt to adopt four-year-old "Mercy" James, of Malawi, was heard Monday in the Supreme Court of the poor southern African nation. 

Their decision could be announced come anytime in the next few days or weeks, says CBS News correspondent Priya David, who was in the courtroom as arguments were heard. Most of the discussion, she says, revolved around a single point -- residency.

Malawi law indicates a person must be a resident of Malawi to adopt. Madonna's attorney, Alan Chinula, conceded that the singer isn't a resident, but argued that it was more important to consider the best interests of the child overall -- the same argument that swayed a judge in the case of David Banda, the son the pop star adopted from Malawi two years ago. 

In an exclusive interview, Chinula told David that James Kambewa, who suddenly came forward claiming to be Mercy's father, is out of luck. Kambewa, 24, who says he does odd jobs and makes about $20 a week, tried to stop the adoption. He responded to reporters' questions about his motives by telling David, in English, "I do not want my baby to be taken, or even to be adopted with Madonna."

Through a translator, he added, "I never ran away from the pregnancy. Whatever they write, let them write. Let them write what they want to write, but what I know is I never ran away from my baby's pregnancy." But asked by David if Kambewa's attempted intervention will work, Chinula responded, ""It is too late. We've closed. The case is closed. It is too late." 

That, explains David, is because the court won't hear any new evidence. James didn't show up in court, but advocates for orphans in Malawi did. One of them, Ulemu Kammayani of Malawi's Human Rights Commission, told David it's in Mercy's best interests that she be adopted by Madonna. Not all orphans' advocates in the courtroom saw trhings that way. Malawi, David points out, has a million orphans. 

Mercy's whereabouts are unknown. She'd been in an orphanage almost since birth. As for Madonna -- she was in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute gala.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com

Madonna adoption case heard amid paternity dispute

Agencies / May 04, 2009

Malawi's highest court began deliberating on Madonna's bid to adopt a 3-year-old girl from the southern African country, as a dispute erupted over whether a man trying to stop the proceedings is the girl's father. 

Madonna was not at Monday's closed-door hearing at the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, and a ruling may not be announced for several days. 

The 50-year-old pop star is fighting a lower court's decision that she cannot adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James because she had not been screened over time by Malawi authorities. The court said the rules were bent when Madonna adopted her son David from Malawi last year. 

Madonna found the girl in 2006 at Kondanani Children's Village, an orphanage in the southern town of Bvumbwe just south of the commercial capital of Blantyre. It was the same year she adopted David, whom she found at another orphanage in the central Mchinji district. Madonna's Malawian lawyer Alan Chinula said he was "hopeful" the appeal would succeed, and argued the lower court had relied on outdated law to block the girl's adoption. 

James Kambewa, a 24-year-old a security guard claims to be the girl's father and has sought help from the Malawi Law Society to stop the adoption. Kambewa acknowledged he has never seen the child, who according to court documents was placed in the orphanage when her 14-year-old mother died a few weeks after giving birth to her. But Kambewa said he now wanted to claim custody of Chifundo. 

"I may be poor, but I think I have what it takes to raise a daughter," he said. "I will fight the adoption." The brother of the girl's mother said the family does not know Kambewa. "How can he claim he is the father when he hasn't been around all this time?" said Peter Baneti, who explained that the girl was put in the orphanage because there was no one to breast-feed the baby. 

Baneti said he had agreed to the adoption on behalf of the family, and that Kambewa was "just an opportunist." Madonna spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg said in an e-mail message she doesn't know if Kambewa is the father. "All I know is that Mercy has been in an orphanage since the day she was born," Rosenberg said. 

Madonna has founded a charity, Raising Malawi, that helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's more than 1 million orphans, half of whom have lost parents to AIDS.

Source: http://www.news.google.com

Madonna a no-show at adoption appeal

By UPI / May 4, 2009

LILONGWE, Malawi-- U.S. pop star Madonna did not attend a Monday hearing at the Malawi Supreme Court regarding her intended adoption of a young girl named Mercy.

Madonna, who is already the mother of two biological children and a son she previously adopted from Malawi, was told last month she could not adopt Mercy because she didn't meet the southeast African nation's residency requirement. The judge said at the time that she feared ruling in Madonna's favor could potentially open the door for child trafficking.

E! Online said Madonna's attorney took part in closed-door appeal arguments Monday, but the singer, who was not required to be there, didn't go. 

The hearing took place shortly after Mercy's 15-year-old father James Kambewa told CBS's "The Early Show" he opposes Madonna's bid to adopt his daughter even though he has never met her. Mercy's mother died not long after giving birth to the child, whose age has been variously reported as 3 or 4.

"I want to take care of her and I'm capable to take care of my baby," E! quoted Kambewa as saying in an "Early" interview that aired Monday. "Mercy, she is a Malawian -- so (I) need her to grow as a Malawian, as well with our culture."

"I did not want my granddaughter to be adopted," said Lucy Chekechiwa, Mercy's maternal grandmother. "But because they have been persistent enough, I have been forced to let my granddaughter go."

E! said it could be several days before a ruling in the adoption case is announced.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://www.upi.com

Madonna on failed Mercy adoption: 'It's not right'

BY Bill Hutchinson / April 7th 2009

Madonna devastated after officials blocked her adoption of a 3-year-old girl from Malawi, telling aides, "it's not right."The Material Girl, who is now back in London, even referred to Chifundo (Mercy) James as "my little girl" before heading home, Australia's Herald Sun newspaper reports."I can't believe I'm leaving my beautiful baby behind," she said. "It's not right. I love that baby girl ... she needs to be with me."Madonna's daughter Lourdes was reportedly heartbroken that her mom was barred from the adoption.The 50-year-old pop icon looked downcast after spending her final hours with Mercy, the child a judge blocked her from adopting last week, before jetting out of the country. 

"Madonna spent some time with Mercy; she looked sad. But Lourdes, who had clicked with the little girl, looked devastated," a staffer at the Kumbali Lodge where Madonna had been staying, told People magazine. Anne Chikhwaza, director of the Kondanani Children's Village, took the girl back to the orphanage, the staffer said. The recently divorced singer has already filed an appeal of the court ruling that found her not eligible to adopt the girl because she hasn't lived in Malawi. 
Madonna had hoped to make Mercy her second child from Malawi, where she adopted her son David in 2006.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com

Judge rejects Madonna's adoption bid

By KCBA / April 6, 2009

A Malawian judge has rejected Madonna's request to adopt a 3-year-old girl due to a residency requirement, her lawyer said.

Malawian regulation requires prospective parents to reside in the country for 18 to 24 months. 

Madonna's lawyer, Alan Chinula, told The Associated Press that the pop star, who did not attend Friday's hearing, can appeal the Supreme Court ruling. The singer adopted son David, now 3, in 2006 without fulfilling the residency requirements. The adoption was mired in controversy as many felt it was fast-tracked due to her celebrity status.

In her ruling on Friday, Judge Esimie Chombo said high-profile celebrity adoptions could lead to child trafficking. 

"Anyone could come to Malawi and quickly arrange for an adoption that might have grave consequences on the very children that the law seeks to protect," she said.

Madonna was attempting to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James, whose mother died shortly after giving birth. In court papers, Madonna stated the girl's grandmother was unable to care for her and that the mother's brother consented to the adoption.

While many children's rights groups opposed the adoption, Malawi's Information Minister, Patricia Kaliati, fully supported it.

"We support her adoption process," Kaliati said Thursday. "Madonna's been good to us. She's supporting over 25,000 orphans in this country, and she's proved she can take care of David."

TVGuide.com's calls to Madonna's rep were not immediately returned. -- Joyce Eng

Source: http://www.kcba.com