From an orphan boy, struggling with malaria and pneumonia, Banda has experienced a completely different life since being adopted by millionaire Madonna.

Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is one of the most influential figures in popular culture and is often referred to as the “Queen of Pop”.

At age 64, Madonna’s estimated fortune is up to $850 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The American music diva often adopts children in difficult circumstances, giving them a home filled with joy and warmth. Among them, public opinion pays the most attention to David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie, a child born in 2005 in Lipunga village, western Malawi, Africa, adopted by a female millionaire 16 years ago.

The African boy’s life completely changed after being adopted (Photo: Mirror)

David Banda’s adoption journey

In 2006, Madonna first met Banda during a visit to Home of Hope, an orphanage in Mchinji, according to The People. At that time, the African boy was only 13 months old and was “struggling” to fight both dangerous diseases: pneumonia and malaria. Because his mother passed away early, Banda’s poor father did not have enough money to both cover the family’s expenses and raise the child alone. In the end, he decided to send Banda to an orphanage, hoping his child would have a better future. It was that decision that helped Banda meet the American diva.

That was also the time when the “Queen of Pop” founded a non-profit organization to support orphans and vulnerable children through educational and medical services. The first time she met Banda, she felt a deep connection and immediately decided to adopt him. She and her then-husband, Guy Ritchie, personally went to meet Banda’s biological father, then worked with local officials to carry out adoption procedures.

However, this journey is not smooth. Because the couple did this silently, all the media did not hear anything about the adoption process. Instead, they maliciously “fabricated” false stories.

Banda was adopted by the “Queen of Pop” (Photo: Getty Images)

Madonna told The People: “At that time, every newspaper said that I kidnapped the boy. I even cried myself to sleep. I’m just trying to save a little life. Why do people have such wrong thoughts about me?”

Finally, the American millionaire had to publicly announce her decision to adopt. This caused Banda to quickly attract public attention and become “the most famous baby in the world” in an article in The Guardian that year.

16 years of happy growth and talent development

In her extended family, Banda has many other siblings, including Lourdes Leon (Madonna’s child with Carlos Leon), Rocco Ritchie (the singer’s son with ex-husband Guy Ritchie), adopted daughter Mercy James , twins Stella and Estere from a Malawi orphanage. According to Hello! revealed that everyone lives together in an estate in Beverly Hills, USA, said to be worth $23 million.

Madonna and her extended family always share happy and joyful moments together. The relationship between siblings in the house is very harmonious (Photo: Yahoo Finance)

The family life of the American female millionaire is always colorful when posted on her personal page. The relationship between members is extremely close and harmonious. In the shared videos, Banda’s son is one of the people closest to her.

Banda showed his musical talent early on with his own style (Photo: Madonna Instagram)

He often shows off his dancing skills in the kitchen, dancing with his mother and siblings. He also continuously appears with his mother in daily and important events, proving the necessary ability to follow in his famous mother’s footsteps. The female singer often posts articles expressing gratitude to her son on his birthday. During Banda’s performance titled She Kills Monsters at Los Angeles National High School of the Arts, USA, Madonna herself watched and expressed her pride and full support for her son.

Not only talented in the musical field, Banda is also an athlete and played football in college. In particular, he also showed his talent in fashion. Recently, Banda wore a bright red shirt dress from the adidas x Gucci collection (released June 7), an iconic product that Madonna herself wore with a similar design in 1993.

Madonna and daughter made a strong impression in Adidas outfits, with Madonna’s black tracksuit and Banda’s red shirt dress, combined with black necklaces, handbag accessories and shoes (Photo: Getty) Images)

Banda has long been praised for its bold fashion style. Madonna’s adopted son described it as “so freeing”. The female millionaire herself also shared about her son with Vogue in 2019, “What Banda has more than anything is focus and determination. I’m pretty sure that personality is similar to mine. Banda has more of my DNA than any other child.”