London/Mphandula
(Reuters):
Madonna
feels
responsible
for
the
children
of
the
world
and
has
found
herself
a
''big,
big
project''
to
help
orphans
in
Malawi.
Gwyneth
Paltrow
declares
''I
am
African''
in
a
new
advertisement
for
a
charity
working
in
Africa.
The
continent
has
long
been
a
favourite
destination
for
celebrity
campaigners,
going
back
to
1954
when
Danny
Kaye
became
UNICEF's
goodwill
ambassador.
U2's
Bono
and
fellow
Irish
rocker
Bob
Geldof
are
Africa
veterans,
and
more
recently
Brad
Pitt
and
Angelina
Jolie
have
brought
Hollywood
gloss
to
the
continent.
But
the
latest
flood
of
stars
searching
for
a
good
cause
has
prompted
a
collective
groan
in
the
press
and
among
bloggers,
as
people
question
their
methods
and
motives.
''We
are
on
the
verge
of
farcical
at
this
point,''
said
Michael
Wolff,
columnist
for
Vanity
Fair,
when
asked
about
Africa's
popularity
among
famous
performers.
''This
has
become
just
a
part
of
the
public
relations
play
book.
Everybody
has
a
PR
person
and
every
PR
person
says
'which
country
do
you
want
to
adopt?'.''
Aid
groups
hit
back,
blaming
the
media
for
creating
the
cult
of
celebrity
in
the
first
place
and
arguing
that
by
discouraging
stars
from
adopting
good
causes
they
are
endangering
vulnerable
people's
lives.
Madonna's
charity
plans
were
announced
in
an
interview
with
Time
magazine,
which
itself
pointed
out
that
for
someone
who
has
never
been
to
Africa
''the
whole
enterprise
has
the
pungent
aroma
of
a
coordinated
act
of
publicity''.
The
fact
that
orphans
at
a
planned
care
centre
in
Malawi
will
be
taught
a
curriculum
based
on
Spirituality
For
Kids,
a
group
linked
to
the
Kabbalah
school
of
mysticism
to
which
Madonna
adheres,
could
add
to
the
cynicism.
But
to
people
in
Mphandula,
where
the
centre
is
to
be
built,
such
arguments
are
unimportant.
''All
I
know
is
that
she
is
rich
and
a
very
compassionate
mother.
She
is
our
mother
now,''
said
village
headman
Mphandula,
who
had
never
heard
of
Madonna.
''It
is
a
gift
from
God.''
Paltrow's
appearance
in
African
beads
and
with
painted
stripes
on
her
cheek
above
the
words
''I
Am
African''
drew
online
blogs
of
derision.
''Right
Gwynnie.
And
I'm
Martian,''
said
one.
Michael
Musto,
celebrity
columnist
for
the
Village
Voice,
added:
''The
Gwyneth
thing
was
kind
of
laughable.
So
many
celebrities
are
jumping
on
the
Africa
bandwagon,
like
they
descend
on
a
hot
restaurant
-
because
it's
cool.''
But
Leigh
Blake,
founder
of
AIDS
charity
Keep
A
Child
Alive
(www.keepachildalive.org)
for
which
Paltrow
appeared,
reacted
angrily
to
what
she
said
was
damaging
cynicism.
''From
my
perspective
I
can
assure
you
there
are
hundreds
of
thousands
alive
today
because
of
the
work
of
all
these
celebrities,''
she
told
Reuters.
''They
(media
commentators)
can't
imagine
for
one
second
that
these
people
they
dehumanise
actually
care
about
poor
people.
''The
truth
is,
the
media
created
this
monster
(of
celebrity)
and
we
in
the
world
of
charity
are
forced
to
use
it.''
Blake
said
the
media
had
an
important
role
to
play
in
helping
charities
raise
awareness
and
funds,
but
should
beware
of
attacking
celebrities
with
a
cause.
''Don't
put
off
the
artists
we
can
get
on
board,''
she
said.
Deborah
Tompkins
of
ActionAid
argued
the
media
was
in
fact
becoming
less
cynical
in
covering
aid
issues.
''From
a
media
perspective,
I
don't
think
we
need
celebrities
any
more,''
she
said.
''The
media
...
will
often
find
the
stories
about
the
real
people
living
the
issues
much
more
interesting
than
stories
about
celebrities
talking
about
the
issues.''
Like
Rosemary
Chikanda,
mother
of
four
who
is
HIV
positive
but
cannot
access
free
life-prolonging
anti-retroviral
drugs.
''I
don't
know
Madonna.
What
I
only
know
is
that
she
is
a
rich
musician
who
has
come
to
help
us,''
she
said
in
Mphandula.
''Whoever
this
woman
is,
God
bless
her
because
finally
I
will
have
someone
to
look
after
my
children.
''My
husband
died
five
years
ago
and
I
know
I
am
next
and
this
centre
is
my
only
hope.'