Forum query Madonna over $18 mil raised in the name of Malawi charity
Forum for National Development (FND), a local group, has asked US pop star
Madonna to be accountable and explain the money she raised to build the academy for girls school in Malawi, which was abandoned.
In a statement made available to Nyasa Times by the organization on Friday and signed by FND National Coordinator, Fryson Chodzi, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi, and its chairperson Bright Kampaundi, FND says they have overwhelming evidence that Madonna realised such huge amount of money in the name of building the academy but the project flopped.
“We have come across compelling evidence that Madonna raised US$18 million (Equivalent to Malawi Kwacha 13.5billion) for the school although she went ahead not construct the school shuttering the many dreams of young girls in the surrounding
communities,” the statement in part.
FND says they do know and have corroborated with former board members of her Raising Malawi charity that only US$8,659 (Mwk 6,494,250) went to the school project.
Madonna reportedly raised US$18million for the Malawi school project and, in 2010, she laid the first brick at a ceremony in full view of the global media.
But, in 2011, Raising Malawi announced that it was stopping construction of the school.
According to a Newsweek report from April 2011, US$3.8million (Mwk 2.85billion) had been spent on the project, but only US$850,000 (Mwk 637.5million) had gone towards the work in Malawi.
The rest was spent by the Kabbalah Centre’s Office in Los Angeles, United States of America.
“The Newsweek investigation corroborated our findings that only US$8,659 of the US$3.8million her Public Relations firm said was spent on the academy, was paid out in
Malawi,” the statement.
Madonna first came to Malawi in 2006 and after being touched with the high poverty levels, she pledged to use her personal money to change the lives of children especially the girlchild.
Since then Madonna has proposed mouth-watering projects and initiatives but only a few have materialized such as the construction of the paediatric ward in Blantyre.
“She is also yet to tell us the cost as well. We believe Madonna using her global fame, has raised a lot of money in the last 6 years for various projects in Malawi but as FND we believe we have a civic duty to question her motives and hold her accountable where
transparency is in short supply,” reads statement in part.
“As FND we commend her for the life changing initiatives on the lives of Malawian children she now lives with, but then again, we will not lose sight of the fact that she has used the same adoption as a means of propping up her global image,” the statement reads.
Demands
Meanwhile, FND has put forward demands that Madonna should do or else the organization will take unspecified action;
-Madonna and her Charity must account for US$18million which was raised to build the Girls Academy in Malawi.
-Madonna must justify how US$15million Girls Academy Project can be replaced with the US$300,000 project for the 10 school blocks under the Build On Project.
-Madonna and her Charity must account to what has happened to the 10 schools she claimed to have built.
-Madonna and Build On Project must justify how the purported 10 school blocks could cost US$300,000 when a cost of constructing one similar school block in Malawi is US$6,000 and total would be US$60,000. Where has the rest of the money (US$240,000) gone to?�
-Madonna and her Charity must account in terms of how much was raised and spent on the Hospital ward built at QUEENS.
-Madonna must explain what will happen to the girls that were promised to join the Girls Academy around the communities who gave up their land for the construction of the academy
-Madonna must account for every single dollar that has been raised over the last 6 years through her Raising Malawi as the charity continues to send appeals and collect donations.
-Madonna must apologies to Malawians for duping them on the real reasons for not continuing with the Girls Academy and must make effort to handover any unused money to the Government of Malawi in order for them to invest in the education system.
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Enough is enough. Its high time Malawians need to work up and smell the coffee, when we talk of the issue of transparency lets start with Malawians who are even eating too much from our taxes. Zitsilu zili mommuno mu Malawi. Iwe Madonna, where are the implementations of all these projects we have been promised for a long time? she is only good at talking the walk which she can not walk. Madonna where is the money? Malawi is not a source of money through the name of poverty!!!
This FND grouping is a scam. Their intention is to scare Mama Madonna with the view to get kick backs. Stay away from them Madonna. Thats how they make a leaving- smear campaigns to milk money from people.
I totally support this. transparency is needed so that we know how much she has raised so far in the name of helping Malawians, how much has been spent and the balance. Asking for transparency is not accusing a person. We might look at the help we get but not knowing how much help the helper is getting under the name of poor Malawians.
Total foolishness, you never ask our government for transparency and yet they use our hard earned tax money, yet you are going to ask Madonna for total transparency??? What a joke! This is pathetic,……… If you really want to know then ask Anjimile………how about that for starters???
Really? Mukusiya anthu akuba misonkho yathuwa then busy ndi madona? Mbuzi!
You need to query Anjimile
Nanga akuyankhani kuti Anjimile ? Please don’t open a can of worms chonde
This is a disgusting article . Madonna is an honest person , more honest than certain high profile people in Malawi appear to have been in the past. Yet again someone is attacking Madonna’s integrity and she is the last person on earth who deserves this. She has nothing but honourable intentions. The girls’ school project was shelved by Madonna because of the misappropriation of funds , not by Madonna nor her charity but by those appointed from within Malawi and possibly elsewhere to oversee the project. At the time things went sour by the then President Joyce Banda , I read an article in a Malawi newspaper that stated that certain members of that panel had used funds to buy cars and gym memberships etc. Perhaps instead of hounding Madonna you should be looking into that media info. . It was said in your media that when Madonna disbanded that panel, ie sacked the members, one of whom was the sister of Joyce Banda , 8 members tried to sue her asking for compensation and Joyce Banda started her campaign of trying to dishonour Madonna. She failed frankly and the current President, a man of integrity, has nothing but praise for Madonna thank goodness. I personally support Raising Malawi and will continue to do so . I have no qualms about it’s transparency nor do I believe Madonna has any case to answer on your so-called Demands above. Suggestions that she is some kind of con artist , who asks for donations then directs those funds elsewhere , is absolutely abhorrent, sickening and could be deemed as both libellous and slander . This witch hunt needs to stop !!!!!! Recognise a truly good and wonderful person. You are lucky to have her doing the work she does in Malawi. One thing I know – you can attempt to discredit her over and over but she will never give up! You clearly know little about her! I have no idea why you are doing this, perhaps the investigation should be into the motives of this FND . Your President recently said Madonna is now a child of Malawi. At least he believes in her and frankly I’m sure that means more to Madonna than bothering with false accusers! As for your final suggestion that Madonna has used the adoptions to prop up her global image, how dare you, you could not be further from the truth. Yes she gave a recent interview , her first ever on her 4 Malawi adoptees, but it was given to raise awareness of her charity so that funds can be raised to continue support of the Paediatric Unit . It will not run itself … funds will need to be forthcoming for the future too , and she has made a commitment to the children of Malawi. Perhaps in some way you have been taken by surprise that this unit is completed and functioning ? It’s certainly an amazing achievement, just ask the medical staff .. ask Dr Borgstein. Then ask yourselves why you are doing this. It is vindictive … Shame on you!!!
Well said! This is actually embarrassing. This forum is misguided. They need to be asking Anjimile Oponyo about this. Why is this forum not addressing more pressing issues in Malawi like the serious public Heath disaster in Area 18 where people are drinking fecal contaminated water… Where are your priorities folks?????
They are trying just to make there names on Madonna issue… Guys ur late find other stories..
Hahahahaha.Money is hers leave it to her to spend as she pleases
She raises money in the name of charity to help Malawians so that is not her own money. Asking for transparency is not accusing a person. There is need for transparency. We need to know how much she has raised and how much has been spent on the project and the balance otherwise she might seem to help when in fact she is helping herself more
Joyce Banda ndi mphwake Anjimile akupweteketsani!
Koma ndiyetu