Madonna Says "Women Are The Future Of Africa"

Los Angeles, CA (BANG) - Madonna believes "women are the future of Africa." The singer, who was inspired to adopt Malawian orphan David after visiting the poverty-stricken region last year, is now working on a documentary to increase awareness of the plight of African orphans.

Madonna told Vanity Fair magazine: "I want to see girls with educations. I think women are the future of Africa."

The pop superstar has teamed up with director Nathan Rissman to produce a film exploring the lives of the thousands of infants and children who have been orphaned, often as the result of HIV and AIDS.

Madonna said recently: "I asked one of the children in Malawi, 'If you've got the world listening to you, if there's one thing you could say to the world, what would you say? And the boy said, 'Please just help us forget we're orphans.' "

Madonna, 48, adopted 19-month-old David after traveling to Malawi to help build an orphanage as part of the Raising Malawi project in October. The "Material Girl" singer also has a ten-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from a previous relationship, and a son, Rocco, six, with her director husband Guy Ritchie.