Madonna's new project: a girls school in Malawi

You probably feel as if you know plenty about Madonna, at least when it comes to her clothes, her career, her marriage and, let’s face it, her every move.
Advertisement

But did you know that, like Oprah Winfrey, she’s involved in a project to promote girl power in an African country?

The pop diva’s charitable ventures are mostly a private matter, according to Philippe Van Den Bossche, who manages Madonna’s philanthropy around the world.

An exception, of course, is her involvement with Malawi, the AIDS-ravaged country that inspired her to make the documentary she’ll introduce in person today at the Traverse City Film Festival.

During an interview after a press screening of “I Am Because We Are,” Van Den Bossche said Madonna is “extremely excited” about a new project to build “a replicable model for a girls secondary school to promote gender empowerment and gender equality in Malawi.”

It sounds reminiscent of Winfrey’s leadership academy for girls in South Africa, only the emphasis will not be on creating a one-of-a-kind place, but a model “that any educator can look at and say, we want to replicate that.”

Madonna’s people aren’t working with Winfrey’s people on the project, but they are getting input.

“We have consulted with Oprah’s team to learn from their successes and their challenges,” said Van Den Bossche, who’s executive director of Madonna’s foundation, Raising Malawi.

Van Den Bossche said proceeds from the Traverse City screenings of Madonna’s documentary -- an estimated $25,000 -- will help with the project.