An Epic Madonna By Mert & Marcus For Interview Magazine December 2014/January 2015

Anne of Carversville is returning to its roots, following closely the philanthropy and smart sensuality activism of the women we love: founding muses Angelina Jolie, Shakira, Alicia Keyes, and Madonna, accompanied by a host of other fabulous women we admire: Christy Turlington, Lupita Nyong’o, Beyonce, Trudi Styler and Ali Hewson — to name a few.

Preparing to update our reporting on Madonna’s philanthropy efforts in Malawi — sorting out fact from fiction (and we’re on her side but always committed to the truth) — I reread Madonna’s recent Interview magazine interview with her buddy David Blaine.

Wow, for real!! Madonna’s says that her son — we assume her son Rocco Richie — is interning with JR. Time to check out the $100,000 TED prize winner JR, founder of the ‘Women Are Heroes’ project, which he completed this summer. (Update coming this week.)

Last year around this time, JR was hanging out at the New York City Ballet, and we’re happy to see that he left Manhattan. A human spirit like JR shouldn’t stay in one place too long and especially in New York, where the divide between the haves and JR’s have nots is really unbearable and getting worse every day.

Madonna in Malawi

Frankly, I’m delighted that Madonna would choose to deliver such a sensually powerful and inspiring set of Mert & Marcus images as she does in the current Art issue of Interview Magazine. The aging superstar remains a dynamo on the world stage, one of the hardest-working and talented women in the music industry, a sexual dynamo and one of the strongest voices for empowering women on the planet.

Checking back with Madonna’s recent Thanksgiving visit to Malawi, it seems that events are settling down between Madonna and Malawi’s new president Peter Mutharika, who named her Malawi’s Goodwill Ambassador for Child Welfare.

Madonna has been visiting Malawi since 2006 and has adopted two children in the country — David Banda and Mercy James, who accompanied her on the trip, along with Rocco. Son David saw his father but Mercy did not see her grandparents, who were lamblasting the pop queen with one public accusation after another, all the while insisting they didn’t want money from Madonna. Why Madge is employing one set of rules for son David and another for daughter Mercy is her business, not the world’s. I can only assume that she has her reasons.

It’s a fact that Madonna has experienced rough sledding in Malawi — some of it her own fault and the rest in accusations out of her control. Madonna’s ‘Raising Malawi’ charity did have disorganization and promise-keeping problems a few years ago. The challenges were severe enough for Madonna to not only fire then Executive Director Philippe van den Bossche and bring in Trevor Neilson, president of the Global Philanthropy Group to reorganize her Malawi charity.

This phase of boiling over issues at ‘Raising Malawi’ appears to have subsided with the arrival of current Executive Director Sarah Ezzy, who is a director at Global Philanthropy Group.

Madonna closed down the Malawian office of ‘Raising Malawi’, headed by then President Joyce Banda’s sister, Anjimile Mtila-Oponyo. opting instead to fund 10 existing schools and not build a $15m girls’ academy. The result was a war of words, one that continues to haunt Madonna but abated somewhat on last week’s trip.

In 2013 Madonna collided with then President Joyce Banda’s office, according to the AP. President Banda alleged that Madonna desired special treatment at the airport as she prepared to exit the country. What happened is the Madonna was stripped of her VIP status, an action that diverted the pop star humanitarian, her kids and her staff from the VIP section of the airport and sent them to standard security checks with regular travelers.

Madonna in Malawi November 2014On a procedural note, as someone who has traveled frequently on a private jet all over the world, this is NEVER the protocol in any country I’ve visited. Fair or not fair, it is NOT the procedure. If you are traveling in a private jet, your papers are handled in a separate space in the airport — one for which you have paid unusually high landing and takeoff fees. Just lifting Madonna’s private jet off the tarmac in Malawi could easily cost $10,000.

Madonna and buildOn

The Global Philanthropy Group is most likely the catalyst behind ‘Raising Malawi’s’ new alliance with established school-building partner buildOn. Last Sunday, Madonna visited Kasungu province to visit two of the 10 schools constructed with buildOn. This organization had already built 54 schools in the country over a period of 19 years when Madonna’s alliance with buildOn was cemented.

“I have learned a great deal over the last few years and feel confident that we can reach our goals to educate children in Malawi, especially young girls, in a much more practical way. Constructing smaller schools in partnership with buildOn has restored my faith that we can accomplish what we promised we would,” said Madonna, in announcing the partnership in 2012.

Jim Ziolkowski, Founder, President and CEO of buildOn

“Because of Madonna and Raising Malawi’s support, we will be able to build schools for children that the rest of the world has left behind. Generations of children will have access to education and be empowered to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations,” said Jim Ziolkowski, Founder and CEO of buildOn, in his own comments around the collaboration.

Only 1% of the charities rated by Charity Navigator have received at least 11 consecutive 4-star ratings. buildOn is one of those charities. Read more about the charity’s work in the US and abroad here.

Listen to this high impact video by buildOn founder Jim Ziolkowski. It seems that Madonna has found a good partner in Malawi.