Sandi Thom column: Who wouldn’t want to help?
Madonna has every right to adopt a kid
Madonna has every right to adopt a kid
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I RECEIVED an e-mail this week from a man called Elvis!
Not THE King of course – we all know he’s kicking it in the Caribbean with Jim Morrison.
My Elvis works for Oxfam and I met him last year when I visited Malawi to help raise awareness of the country’s economic plight.
Malawi was considered the 13th poorest country in the world when I was there, with a great many people suffering from HIV, the majority of the people surviving on one bowl of maize a day and only a third of the country with access to education and healthcare.
Food prices had tripled in recent months, forcing a million people way below the bread line.
What I saw was life at its most basic.
Whole families living in small red brick huts with no comforts, electricity or running water – and to think another 12 countries around the globe endure conditions worse than this.
Malawi is such a beautiful country though and the people, for all their misfortune and circumstance, are some of the most joyous and friendly I’ve ever met.
It was my first trip to Africa and a truly eye-opening and very humbling experience.
Everyone in the UK, regardless of status and how much cash you have, is so lucky to live here.
Anyway, Elvis was keeping me up to date with the Malawi elections.
At a time when all eyes are on Iran, few ever glance at Africa.
The incumbent President, Dr. Bingu, had just been re-elected to another five-year term, a decision the whole country was fairly happy with since he’s achieved a lot for them economically over the last five years.
We also discussed Madonna’s campaign to adopt a second child from Malawi, and why not I say.
Madonna has the means to give her adopted son David and his new sister all they’ll ever need in life and then some.
Madonna is one of the most famous women in the world but she is also clearly just a human being with a big heart who obviously wants to give these children a shot at having a better life. And what a life at that!
It’s easy to judge her because she’s uber famous.
You may think that she acts as if she’s above the law or off the planet with her Kabbalah and reported work-out regimen.
Or maybe you think she’s following Angelina Jolie down the celeb brick road and its ‘adopt a child’ fashion trend.
But if you had seen what I did when I visited Malawi, you wouldn’t wish such a life on anyone – and would adopt your own brood if you could, trust me. I say good on you Madonna!
Anyhoot, must dash, got loads of prep for my upcoming trip to Canada.
I’m playing a series of gigs in Toronto this week as part of North by North East (NXNE) Music Festival and will relay some sordid tales from the land of Mounties and Maples in next week’s exciting episode, same Thom time, same Thom channel.
