Madonna wasn't able to visit Malawi this Christmas, but she let the children in the six orphanages she funds there know they were very much on her mind this holiday season.
Boxes of toys, chocolate, other sweets and clothes were shipped with a handwritten note from the star, which read, "To my Malawi children on Christmas and Boxing Day. I wish I was with you. See you soon M."
Inside the goodie boxes were miniature Christmas cards signed by Madonna, Lourdes and Rocco.
"How so sweet this woman is!" said Lucy Chipeta, director of Home of Hope Orphanage in Mchinji, where Madonna adopted son David in 2006, as more than 500 children scrambled for toys and bars of chocolate.
Near another orphanage, Consol Homes, more than 1,000 people from surrounding villages were invited to an open-air party. All the orphans and under-privileged children who registered with the center received clothes.
"Madonna says she always enjoys the traditional dances the villagers perform for her when she visits," said Yacinta Chapomba, director of Consol Homes. "She asked us to invite as many villagers as possible for the Christmas party."
The singer planned to return to Malawi in November alongside U2 singer Bono, but the trip, according to sources, was rescheduled for the spring.
The pop superstar had added her voice to the furore after the incarceration of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga and were both sentenced to 14 years behind bars for being homosexual.
She urged Malawians and her followers across the world to stand against the judge's decision by adding their names to a petition against the ruling.
After receiving the petition and meeting with United Nation ambassadors, Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika pardoned the pair and ordered their immediate release on Saturday.
And Madonna - who adopted two of her children, David and Mercy, from the country and is financing the construction of a girls' school in the capital - is delighted by the news.
But the singer admits she is still concerned for the pair, adding: "Though they are free from prison, sadly their safety and future in Malawi is still unknown. I hope this is just the beginning of our work together.
Reactions to the conviction of gay Malawi couple Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, who were sentenced to 14 years in prison with hard labor for "gross indecency" and "unnatural acts" for having an engagement ceremony in late December, came today from Madonna and the White House.
Madonna, who many have been calling on throughout this human rights travesty to make a statement, and who is building a school and has adopted two children from Malawi, said:
"I am shocked and saddened by the decision made today by the Malawian court, which sentenced two innocent men to prison. As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, color, religion, or sexual orientation. Today, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved. I call upon the progressive men and women of Malawi—and around the world—to challenge this decision in the name of human dignity and equal rights for all."
And the White House released a statement through Press Secretary Robert Gibbs:
"The United States strongly condemns the conviction and harsh sentencing of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga in Malawi. The criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity is unconscionable, and this case mars the human rights record of Malawi. We urge Malawi and all countries to stop using sexual orientation or gender identity as the basis for arrest, detention, or execution."
Madonna wasn't able to visit Malawi this Christmas, but she let the children in the six orphanages she funds there know they were very much on her mind this holiday season.
