Mercy James spends last days with playmates before she's whisked away from Malawi for new life with Madonna



Mercy James is spending her final days in Malawi playing with friends, completely unaware her life is about to change beyond all recognition.



The four-year-old has been photographed enjoying the company of her nursery school classmates with a huge smile on her face as her new life with Madonna draws near.



New life ahead: A beaming Mercy James at her nursery school in Lilongwe, Malawi. She will soon fly to New York to be with Madonna



Malawi's Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling in April which said Madonna could not adopt Mercy James because she was not a resident of the southern African country.

Rights groups have accused the government of giving Madonna special treatment and said the case would encourage foreign celebrities to think they can adopt Malawian children at will.

Mercy's father said Madonna, who is dating 22-year-old Brazilian model Jesus Luz, should not be allowed to adopt Mercy.

Almost time to say goodbye: The four-year-old with her young playmates



Bitter fight: Mercy's father was against Madonna's adoption bid



'No one wants to listen to me, I have protested this all along... I want my child back but I don't know what to do now,' James Kambewa said.

'Madonna cannot take her away.'

There is little he can do now - the Supreme Court ruling cannot be challenged.



Kambewa said he quit his job as a security guard to fight the adoption and is being supported by his aunt.

According to tradition in southern Malawi, where Kambewa lives, a grandmother has more say in a child's future than the father.

When Mercy's mother died, Kambewa was powerless to stop his daughter being sent to an orphanage when she was three days old.

An Aids epidemic in Malawi has orphaned more than one million children and Madonna has set up a children's charity.

Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo said the singer had shown an interest in helping Malawi orphans and that Mercy would have a better life with her. He said a lower court had erred in turning down the adoption request.

Madonna and child: The singer with Mercy during one of her visits to Malawi (picture: Reuters)



'Madonna has shown that she is bold, and compassionate enough to come forward to adopt Chifundo James,' he said.

In a statement, Madonna said: 'I am ecstatic... My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her.'

Malawi's government came under fire after Madonna adopted a 13-month-old child, David Banda, in 2006, with critics accusing it of giving her special treatment by skirting laws that ban non-residents from adopting children.

'Of course we are disappointed with the ruling because we know that adoption should only be granted as the last resort,' said Maxwell Matewele, executive director of the Eye on Child non-governmental organisation.

Madonna has entertained millions around the world with hits like Material Girl and Papa Don't Preach, creating a fair amount of controversy along the way.

The star, who was divorced last year from British film director Guy Ritchie, had enjoyed album sales of more than £200million.

Toy boy: Madonna's young boyfriend Jesus Luz left the singer's side this week for a trip to Argentina

























