Madonna Says Malawi Has Taught Her A Lot

Madonna has been "taught a lot" by Malawi. The "Celebration" singer - who has adopted two children, Mercy and David, both four, from the African country - says she was "chosen" by the poverty-stricken area to help it anyway she can.

She said: "People always ask me, 'Why did you choose Malawi?' But I have always said, 'Malawi chose me.' Growing up in a privileged life, I took education for granted. Coming to Malawi has taught me a lot."

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The 51-year-old star is currently in Malawi with the two youngsters and their older siblings, Lourdes, 13, and Rocco, nine.

The family flew out to the country for a week-long break, starting with the official opening of her charity's school, the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, in Lilongwe Monday.

Madonna, 51, is working closely on the school - which will reportedly cost £9 million [$13 million] to build and will have space for 500 girls - because she is determined to make "future female leaders" out of girls from across the country.

The pop singer attended yesterday's brick-laying ceremony for the school and promised to continue her work in other countries if the project is a success.

She said: "I realized how much children deserve to be educated and so, for me, the best thing I could do was to build a school, a unique school that will create future female leaders, scientists, lawyers, doctors and if this school is successful it will be used as a model to replicate it in other countries."

During the visit, Madonna will take her two youngest children to meet their biological families and will spend time learning the local language and teaching them about where they came from.