Madonna starts Malawi visit

Madonna arrived in Malawi today ahead of her week-long charity tour.

According to an official programme released by the pop star’s charity, Raising Malawi, she is scheduled to visit the Millennium Village, a United Nations initiative in the central border district west of Lilongwe.

Madonna will be joined by economist Jeffrey Sachs, a development affairs expert and mentor of the initiative.

Tomorrow she will lay the first brick of her Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, signalling the official commencement of construction of the $15m (€11.13m) academy, set to open in 2011.

Madonna has pumped millions into the impoverished southern African country and become very active in charitable efforts. She has also adopted two children from Malawi.