Kondanani Children’s Village: Shelter in the storm

 Kondanani Children’s Village is the most beautiful, best-run and nicest orphanage in all of Malawi. More than 150 children live there presently, on a campus of rolling rural land, huge gardens, lovely brick dormitories and learning centers and under the watchful care of the loving, fiercely protective Dutch lioness Annie and her conscientious staff. Kondanani takes in only infants and has committed to raising them until they are married. Not just 18. Not just through college or whatever. Until they are married. Like a regular African family. It’s an extraordinary place. An extraordinary home.

This is where Madonna found her daughter Chifundo “Mercy” James.

Mercy was in good hands there, but is in even better hands now in her forever family in America – amai Madonna, sister Lourdes, and brothers Rocco and David (who is also from Malawi, of course.) We spent many hours visiting Kondanani, about a 45 minute drive from Blantyre. Annie is amazing. The children are beautiful. The one to the left there is Grace.

Yeah. Grace. I know.

I’ll be writing more about Annie and Kondanani in the future but wanted to share some of the photographs I took on our last visit, the day before we returned to the United States. It was the only truly yucky rainy day we had in Malawi (the rainy season had just passed.) But Kondanani still was full of light and love.

As you can see …

This is the 3-4 year old wing…
These four boys made my heart melt.

And their outfits made me think of the Apostles (and Jesus himself) in the movie “Godspell.”
Preee-pare ye, the way of the Lord …

This one was named “Bertha,” like the Grateful Dead song.