People need to stop wasting time bashing Madonna and recognize the larger issue that exists. Literally millions of orphans are lost in orphanages and suffer malnutrition, emotional neglect and abuse. Unfortunately for these children, the bureaucratic system that often governs adoption laws in various countries prevent children from experiencing the love and security that a forever family can offer. These children waste away while their government enforce ludicrous adoption laws. Malawi is no exception as their adoption laws stipulate that non-residents cannot adopt an orphan. Sounds reasonable in theory, however, most of the residents are poor and impacted by the AIDS epidemic and cannot assist their own children, let alone orphans.

It is my hope that this recent trend of celebrities adopting internationally will stir the hearts of other Americans and will result more international adoptions. I hope that international countries will cut through the bureaucratic red tape and create realistic adoption laws so that their orphaned children will be spared a lifetime of hardships. The heartbreaking reality is that the majority of orphans will either age-out of the system or die. True, little Banda will live in the glare of the media lights for the better part of his life. However, these conditions represent a marked improvement from less-fortunate orphans. Most will continue to live in disease infested environments, unable to attach to another human being, and possibly die an unnecessary death all because they had the misfortune of living in a country that refuses to consider the best interest of a child opting instead to enforce a twisted, corrupt adoption system that professes maintaining a child’s culture is somehow more valuable than securing a child’s future.

Mirriam Nyirongo, a nurse who runs an orphanage in Malawi was quoted as saying, “We must be frank: We cannot afford to look after the thousands of babies that are being orphaned everyday. If rich people like Madonna take just one child it will be a major boost for Malawi.”*

I think the orphans of the world will join me in saying “Bravo Madonna!”
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*Quote taken from Showbiz.com “Madonna Leaves Malawi Without a Child”. October 13, 2006