via PopEater [1]

Literally! This week, Madonna [2] is in Malawi, and she just helped to lay the first ceremonial brick in the building of a local school. Once built, the academy will educate, protect, and empower 450 young Malawian girls.

The ceremony was held in the village of Chinkhota, where the school will be constructed, with funding from Madonna’s charity, Raising Malawi [3]. The group’s mission is to bring an end to extreme poverty and hardships that Malawi’s 2,000,000 orphans and vulnerable children face. Madonna adopted two of her children from Malawi.

The text “Dare to Dream” and “Raising Malawi Academy for Girls” was inscribed on the brick. Her Madgesty said, “It has always been my dream to train women leaders who can help develop the country… It pains me to see children denied their most basic needs to survive because they were born into extreme poverty.”

We love that superstars like Madonna are dedicating more than just funds to charity—they’re also contributing their time, physical presence, and willpower to fuel the movement to make a difference! Click here [4] to learn more about what you can do to help the Malawian community.