MADONNA BRINGS HOPE TO AFRICA

MADONNA will secure her legacy in Malawi by opening her orphan care centre early this week.

The Material Girl, who adopted her son David Banda from the tiny east African country, has so far spent £61,000 on the centre.

It’s estimated that nearly one million children have been orphaned by Aids in Malawi. Madonna’s charity, Raising Malawi, has spent millions of pounds building and improving facilities to try to help them.

Construction started last October on the collection of buildings that will make up the Consol Homes Raising Malawi Orphan Care Centre at Namitete near Lilongwe, the ­capital. Madonna has pledged £86,000 over the next five years to keep it going.

The buildings, red brick, with green painted metal roofs, will help ­thousands of the neediest children ­living around Lilongwe.

The centre will be managed by Consol Homes, which is a non-profit, community-based organisation currently helping around 1,400 children.

Yasinta Chapomba, 45, programme officer for orphans and vulnerable ­children with Consol Homes in Lilongwe, said: “I am very excited about the opening.

“We have received so much money and help from Madonna and Raising Malawi and we are very grateful.”

Teacher Ruth Maulana, 23, who has started working for the new care ­centre, said: “I helped to set up the pre-school programme for the children.

“I expect to see at least 110 children aged under-six most days.”