London
(ANI):
African
villagers
have
claimed
they
are
being
forced
to
relocate
to
give
way
to
a
new
school
in
Malawi
funded
by
Madonna"s
Raising
Malawi
charity.
As
many
as
200
villagers
were
being
shifted
from
their
ancestral
land
and
claimed
they
were
being
poorly
compensated
by
the
Queen
of
Pop,
who
agreed
to
pay
70,000
pounds
in
damages.
“My
sisters
and
I
inherited
this
land
from
our
parents,
whose
parents
have
been
here
for
over
a
hundred
years.
How
can
I
get
only
K200,000?
(850
pounds)" the
Daily
Express
quoted
one
unhappy
villager,
Amos
Mkuyu,
as
saying.
District
commissioner
Charles
Kalemba
told
the
villagers
in
Chinkhota:
“The
government
allowed
you
to
occupy
this
land
because
there
was
no
project
yet,
but
now
that
Madonna
wants
to
build
you
a
school
you
have
to
give
way.
This
school
is
the
future
of
our
children.
You
are
lucky
that
Madonna
has
compensated
you
for
your
houses,
gardens
and
trees."
Village
head
man
Binson
Chinkhota
said:
“We
have
been
compensated
and
this
school
is
a
pride
for
us
as
it
is
the
future
of
our
children."
Anjimile
Mtila-Oponyo,
the
school"s
principal-designate,
added:
“We
stalled
for
some
months
because
of
the
land
dispute.
We
are
now
in
full
swing
and
set
to
meet
the
2011
deadline."