Madonna was hailed as a "symbol of a motherly spirit" by Malawi President Peter Mutharika after the American singer opened a children's hospital named after her adopted daughter Mercy James.
The Mercy James Institute for Paediatric Surgery and Intensive Care located in Blantyre, Malawi's second-largest city, is the first such facility built in the country by Madonna's charity Raising Malawi.
"We will ensure that not only will it be a world-class children's hospital, but also a superior centre of learning. This is as much about healing as it is about empowerment," Madonna said at the hospital's official opening.
The singer adopted Malawian children David Banda and Mercy James in 2006 and 2009 respectively and twins Esther and Stella Mwale earlier this year. She has two other children, Lourdes and Rocco, from previous relationships.
Speaking at the event, Mercy James drew applause and ululation from the crowd after saying: "Many kids and many lives will be saved. Thank you mum, you're the bomb."
Madonna established the non-profit Raising Malawi charity in 2006 to provide health and education, particularly for girls. The charity has built 10 schools in Malawi, according to its website.
Madonna criticised Malawi's slow pace of law reform, saying it nearly prevented her from adopting Mercy James.
"It was not an easy battle," said Madonna as her voice cracked with emotion as she stood near her daughter.
"The judge refused me because I was recently divorced. We hired lawyers, went to the Supreme Court. But I never gave up, I never backed down," added the 58-year-old, who previously stirred anger among some Malawians as they felt the government allowed her to skirt laws that ban non-residents from adopting.
"I fought for Mercy and won. We fought for this hospital and won. Love conquers all."
Madonna then danced to a local song with Malawi's first lady Gertrude Mutharika.
Mutharika, who attended the hospital's launch, said "Madonna is a symbol of a motherly spirit" and that the hospital was Malawi's "national pride".
The health minister Peter Kumpalume said the hospital will help save lives of newborns in a country where infant mortality is still one of the highest in the world, but steadily declining.
"For our part, we will fully support the facility, we are bringing in doctors and drugs," Kumpalume told Reuters.
Malawi's infant mortality rate declined to 42 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2016 from 135 deaths in 1992, government data shows.
Reuters
Wed Jul 12 2017
Madonna established the non-profit Raising Malawi charity in 2006 to provide health and education, particularly for girls. The charity has built 10 schools in Malawi, according to its website. Photo/Instagram Madonna
Khairulnizam layak ke Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024
Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy sah akan mengiringi Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif ke Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024, juga merupakan penampilan keempat berturut-turut di temasya berprestij itu.
Musibah banjir buka peluang 'rezeki lebih' usahawan F&B melalui IPR
Musibah banjir yang melanda Johor tahun lepas membuka peluang rezeki baharu kepada usahawan makanan dan minuman, Haida Abdul Rahman.
Mohd Azizulhasni tekad dikalungkan pingat emas di Paris
Azizulhasni tekad untuk 'dikalungkan' pingat emas pertama Malaysia di Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 pada penampilan terakhirnya di temasya itu.
USM cipta rekod hasilkan kaligrafi Cina 2.68km
Penuntut USM cipta rekod dalam MBOR apabila menghasilkan penulisan kaligrafi Cina sepanjang 2.68 kilometer.
MITRA sudah belanja RM40 juta daripada peruntukan RM100 juta tahun ini
Sebanyak RM40 juta daripada peruntukan RM100 juta yang disalurkan kerajaan tahun ini kepada MITRA telah dimanfaatkan untuk pelbagai program.
Laporan Pasaran Labuan IBFC 2023 tunjukkan pemulihan kukuh, pertumbuhan luar biasa
Laporan Labuan IBFC 2023 mendedahkan pertumbuhan luar biasa wilayah itu yang menyumbang RM1.2 bilion kepada hasil fiskal Malaysia dan melepasi paras RM1 bilion buat pertama kalinya.
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Guinea-Bissau akur kepada Israel, tidak beri kebenaran guna bendera bagi misi pelayaran
Kerajaan Republik Guinea-Bissau dilaporkan tunduk dan akur kepada gesaan Israel untuk tidak membenarkan misi pelayaran Break The Siege: Freedom Flotilla to Gaza menggunakan bendera mereka.
Penyakit berkaitan haba dikhuatiri meningkat di Gaza
Penularan penyakit berkaitan haba panas menjadi kebimbangan terbaharu di Gaza selepas suhu luar jangka melampau melanda wilayah itu setiap hari. Ia sudah semestinya diburukkan lagi dengan kekurangan air bersih dan ketiadaan sistem pembuangan sisa pepejal yang sepatutnya wujud di sesebuah kawasan didiami manusia.
Ilhan Omar melawat peserta tunjuk perasaan
Wakil Dewan Perwakilan Amerika Syarikat (AS) Ilhan Omar mengadakan lawatan di kampus penyokong Pro Palestin di Universiti Columbia New York pada Khamis.
Dua lelaki didakwa jadi 'tali barut' kepada China
Dua lelaki yang mana salah seorangnya pernah bertugas di Parlimen United Kingdom (UK) enjalani proses perbicaraan di mahkamah London pada Jumaat selepas didakwa menjadi tali barut menyalurkan maklumat sulit kerajaan kepada negara tembok besar itu.
COVID-19: Lebih 86 juta kanak-kanak bakal dibelenggu krisis kemiskinan
Lebih 86 juta kanak-kanak akan hidup dalam kemiskinan hujung tahun ini, menurut kajian bersama Pergerakan Save The Children dan Tabung Kanak-kanak PBB (UNICEF).
38 kanak-kanak jadi mangsa korban serangan di Idlib, Syria
Sekurang-kurangnya 38 kanak-kanak dilaporkan terbunuh dan 46 lagi cedera dalam serangan di Idlib, Syria sejak 1 April lalu.
Children, tema iklan Merdeka Petronas
Kehidupan kita mungkin berbeza. Impian dan harapan tetap sama. Itulah tema yang diketengahkan oleh Petronas untuk Hari Kebangsaan 2013.