Madonna opens children’s surgery unit in Malawi

Madonna has adopted four Malawian children – David Banda, Mercy James and twins Stelle and Estere.

The childcare unit is funded by the 58-year-old singer's charity organisation, Raising Malawi, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The institute, which took two years to be built, completed its first surgery last week.

“So excited for the opening of the Mercy James Center,” Madonna wrote on Facebook. “Thanks to everyone all around the world for making this dream a reality.”

"When you look into the eyes of children in need, wherever they may be, a human being wants to do anything and everything they can to help, and on my first visit to Malawi, I made a commitment that I would do just that,” she said in a statement.

"As we approach the opening of the Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, I'd like to thank everyone who has joined me on this unbelievable journey. What started out as a dream for Malawi and her children has become a reality, and we couldn't t have done it without your [Ministry of Health] support."

The new wing will help Queen Elizabeth Hospital double the number of surgeries performed on children each year and provide critical pre-operative and post-operative care. It includes three operating rooms, a day clinic, a 45-bed ward, a playroom, an outdoor play structure and inspirational paintings curated by Madonna and other artists. It will also serve as a training centre for doctors in the southeastern African country.

"Malawi has enriched my family more than I could have ever imagined. It's important for me to make sure all my children from the country maintain a strong connection to their birth nation, and equally important to show them that together humans have the power to change the world for the better,” Madonna said.