By Celebrity Short Stories Inc. ©
As Madonna reflects on how to fund schools in Malawi, Africa, one possibility is that she can’t afford to build them. What is the likelihood of this?
Madonna and Malawi – The Cost of Schools.
Madonna is not the only person who has thought of building schools in Malawi. Other people who have far less profile, fewer resources, and less ability to raise the kind of funds that Madonna and friends could raise, have been in Africa (and in particular, in Malawi) for years building schools. What is the cost to build such schools? Here are some estimates (converted from GBP to US$ based on estimates from Ripple Africa).
4 Single Room Classrooms (brick construction) $53,900 US
2 Teacher’s Houses $50.700 US
7 Double Toilet Blocks $31,100 US
2 Laboratories $31,700 US
1 Library $19,000 US
Exterior work; games pitches $4700 US
300 desks $7500 US
Total $198,600 US
As you can see, Madonna could build a fine school for under $200,000, and perhaps 5 much needed schools for about $1 million dollars. For most of us, raising this much money would be a daunting task. But for Madonna? Hmmmm.
Madonna and Malawi – Can she afford it?
Can Madonna pay for these schools out of her personal earnings? Uh, duhhhh!!
Forbes Magazine put Madonna’s net worth at $325 million dollars several years ago, but many people think this estimate was far too low. In 2010 Forbes reported that Madonna made $6 million a night and totaled $138 million in her 2009 tour. Other tours have generated in the order of $200 million and her annual earnings are suggested to be between $50 million and $70 million.
Using Madonna’s estimated annual income, the cost of one school represents .2 to .4 per cent of her income. In fact, Madonna likely throws tea-parties that cost more than the cost of a brick school in Malawi. The cost of five schools represents .5 per cent of her gross earnings from the “Confessions” Tour. Clearly, Madonna’s “pocket change” could make a serious difference in the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of African children.
Madonna and Malawi – Why should Madonna support schools?
Madonna is an American and there is no obligation for her to donate any of her time or money to Malawi or any other country, for that matter. But, of course, money is not the only thing that Madonna has. In 2006, Madonna adopted her son from Malawi in what some people consider unusual circumstances that portrayed Madonna as a media-seeker rather than a concerned new mother. But as part of her interest in the country, she has founded the charity “Raising Malawi” which focuses on educating young girls in Malawi. Madonna and Malawi are now inextricably connected, but the reality is: her perceived dedication to the country is measured by the public’s respect for her decisions. If she follows through on her promises, she will be viewed as the Madonna we want her to be – someone with integrity who has her son’s best interests at heart. If she fails in this, she will be considered to be “all about the money and the fame”– and we will lose faith in her. She MUST fund these schools in order to save face and remain a power player in the celebrity world.
Madonna and Malawi – What is ahead?
Madonna clearly has the personal assets to fund many, many schools in Malawi. But even one fully funded school would go a long way to fulfill her promise and help a country cope with poverty and lack of education. Given Madonna’s self-promoted connection to the country of her adopted son, it is highly likely that construction of at least one school in Malawi will begin in 2011. That would be the smart thing to do. What do you think?
