If I quote the story exactly, word is that Madonna broke into tears at dinner Thursday evening, at the home of Brazilian tycoon Eike Batista. Madonna dined without her lover Jesus Luz.

Madonna arrives for dinner at the home of Eike BatistaBatista, a self-made billionaire in the gold and iron mining sector and now the oil industry, asked Madonna how much money she needed for her “welfare projects”.

I assume the reference is money for “Raising Malawi”, a campaign that Madonna is funding presently. Saying that she had raised $3 million of her desired goal of $10 million, Batista promised the rest. Madonna herself has committed $1 million to the new project which will build a school and bring electricity to the Mphandula area of Malawi.

Madonna was asked to headline a New Year’s Eve concert in Rio this December and to participate in the opening show of the Olympic Games of 2016. Press reports in Brazil are that she accepted both invites.

Rio mayor Eduardo Paes committed to applying SFK metholdology in Rio schoolsRio’s mayor Eduardo Paes gave Madonna another present, committing to apply the Spirituality for Kids (SFK) methodology in the municipal schools of Rio. The SFK project is headed by founder Karen Berg, wife of rabbi Michael Berger, who was traveling in Brazil with Madonna.

SFK’s mission is to empower the human spirit in every child, teaching children to find their voices and to make conscious choices that end the cycle of conflict for themselves and for future generations. Spirituality for Kids gives children an awareness of themselves, of others, and of the interconnectedness of all things so that they may grow up to become caring and responsible citizens of the world.

The SFK project is operating in 11 locations worldwide, including Malawi and in São Paulo, Brazil. The remaining locations include: Boston, Israel, London, Los Angeles, Mexico, Moscow, New York, Panama and South florida.

The Rand Corporation has evaluated SFK’s program in a study of over 1000 children in South Florida.