Madonna Celebrates 60th Birthday with Malawi Fundraiser

Bridgehampton pop icon Madonna turns 60 on August 16, and instead of presents, she wants to give back to the children of Malawi. On July 30, Madonna, through her Raising Malawi organization, launched a Facebook fundraiser to raise $60,000 during the month of August for the orphanage Home of Hope.

Madonna wrote on the fundraiser page Monday, “I have an unwavering commitment to providing vulnerable children with a loving home. For my birthday, I can think of no better gift than connecting my global family with this beautiful country and the children who need our help most.” She continued, “Every dollar raised will go directly to meals, schools, uniforms and healthcare. I want to come together with my friends, fans and supporters to change the lives of Malawian children and let them know they are nurtured, protected and loved.”

By August 1 the campaign was halfway toward its goal at almost $35,000 raised. According to Billboard, global payments company Ripple said it would match all of the donations, so the $60,000 goal has technically already been reached within the first week.

Four of Madonna’s six children were adopted from Malawi: David in 2006, Mercy in 2009 and twins Esther and Stella in 2017. And their adoptive mother has been using her global fame to help their home country since her 2006 Confessions Tour. On tour, she founded Raising Malawi shortly before adopting David, in an effort to provide aid to children living in one of the world’s most underdeveloped countries, rife in poverty, poor healthcare and lack of education.

On the organization’s website, Madonna wrote, “When I discovered that over a million children were orphaned by AIDS, living in one of the poorest countries in Africa, I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to get involved and do what I could to help bring awareness to the situation.”

Happy birthday Madonna!