Father begs Madonna for a photo of his Mercy

By Ben Todd and Ian Evans

Small Mercy: Madonna leans down to kiss her adopted daughter yesterday


Leaning lovingly towards her, Madonna plants a tender kiss on the head of her adopted daughter.

It is an image which proves just how strong their bond has become since the singer adopted five-year-old Mercy in Malawi last year.

Sadly, the same cannot be said of the bond between Mercy and her father – her sole remaining biological parent.

Yesterday James Kambewa appealed to Madonna to send him photographs of Mercy, whom he has never met and whose mother died in childbirth aged 14.

Mr Kambewa – who is working as a waiter in Durban, South Africa – said: 'I would appreciate if Madonna could send me pictures of how she looks like now as I don't get any pleasure of being with her.

'It's emotionally painful for me as a father. I'm very happy that Madonna is taking care of her.


Madonna kisses her son David Banda, also from Malawi, who was adopted by Madonna and her ex-husband Guy Ritchie in 2006


'But as a parent, from the moment I heard that she was still alive, I wanted to meet her and I'm hopeful that I'll meet her one day.'

Mr Kambewa, 26, initially opposed the adoption but since appears to have had a change of heart. He said he moved to South Africa to earn enough to pay for a flight to the UK to see Mercy.

Explaining why he had never seen his daughter, Mr Kambewa claimed he thought she had also died with her mother.


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He said he later learned through a friend that she was alive and being brought up in an orphanage.

'As a father, I think about her every day,' he said. 'Having a baby is a blessing. So I go through the emotional pain of not living with her every day.

'I would like to make peace with Madonna so that I can meet my baby. I need someone to advise me on how to go about doing that.

'From the time I learnt that my daughter was still alive, I've been longing for a chance to meet with her but how I do that, I don't know.'


Extended family: Madonna, Mercy and David were joined by big sister Lourdes and her father Carlos Leon


Mercy is the second child Madonna, 51, has adopted.

Her five-year-old son, David, also from Malawi, was adopted by Madonna and her ex-husband Guy Ritchie in 2006.

Mr Kambewa missed an opportunity to see Mercy in April when Madonna returned to Malawi with both her adopted children to launch a school for girls.

She had hoped to reunite both children with their fathers but Mr Kambewa was working in Durban. Madonna and Mercy were pictured yesterday on the set of W.E., a film she is directing in London.


source: dailymail