Madonna visits adoption orphanage

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Madonna has visited the orphanage in Malawi where the young boy she is in the process of adopting used to live.

Children at the church-run Home of Hope orphanage sang and recited lessons for the pop star, while her daughter, Lourdes, took video footage.

But there was unrest outside as orphans and police tried to stop journalists gaining access to the facility.

Madonna, 48, has denied reports that she plans to adopt a second African child during her visit.

The singer is believed to have brought one-year-old David Banda to the orphanage in Mchinji, a village near the Zambian border, to meet his biological father.

The orphanage is near Malawi's border with ZambiaApparently seeking to fulfil the orphanage's pledge that the visit would be conducted in private, police prevented reporters from following Madonna's convoy into the compound.

According to some reports, journalists were also confronted by school children who threw stones at them.

But on leaving the orphanage, Madonna posed for photographs, holding hands with Lourdes and with David in her arms.

Court order

The US pop star sparked controversy when she adopted David, now 18 months old, in 2006.

He is now living with Madonna and her family in London, after she was granted an interim custody order.

Under the court order, David can live with the singer for 18 months, during which time his progress will be reviewed by Malawi officials.

The pop star has been in Malawi to oversee her charity projectsA High Court ruling allows a coalition of human rights groups to monitor the adoption.

According to her spokeswoman, Madonna is visiting Malawi to "oversee the building of a children's healthcare centre".

The singer helped set up the Raising Malawi charity, which aims to provide accommodation, food, education and other support to orphans in the country.

Last year, she said she would donate $3m (£1.5m) to the country via the organisation.

On Monday, she toured UN-backed development projects in Mtanga, where farmers are being helped to grow maize and start fish farming.