Anjimile Mtila-Oponyo is a Malawian development worker and education administrator. She has worked in education administration for the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Development Program where they built schools in Lebanon. [1] She received international attention when she was selected as CEO and head of the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls in Malawi. [2] She is currently a principal secretary in the Ministry of Education in Malawi. [3]
They are a graduate of George Washington University, where they received their Master's in Education and took their sabbatical at Harvard Business School. [4] Oponyo was the CEO of the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls until the project was cancelled due to lack of progress and mismanagement of funds. They are currently a civil servant working with the Malawi government. [3]
Once the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls (RMAG) project was terminated, a report was published that placed blame on Oponyo and Philippe Van Den Bossch, boyfriend of Madonna's former trainer. [5] The report was created by philanthropic consulting firm Global Philanthropy Group, hired by the board of directors of Raising Malawi in November 2010 to help the organization restructure its strategy and approach. [6] The report implied that Oponyo and Van Den Bossch had acted outside their contracted roles. [5] The report accused her of “outlandish expenditures”, including getting a "high salary, a car, housing, and a golf-club membership", all which were included in her contract by Madonna's aides. [5]
Eight staff members of RMAG, including Oponyo, lodged the action with lawyer Charles Mpaka at the end of March 2011, claiming they were let go without proper termination procedures. [7] The staff claims that they were being forced to sign a discriminatory termination agreement which was "unfair and unconstitutional" and included a 'confidentiality agreement' which prevents them from defending themselves against defamation and libel. [7] Madonna's lawyer, Davis Njobvu, argued to the court that RMI was a registered trust in the United States and only provided funds for the construction and that there were no contracts signed between Raising Malawi, Inc. (RMI) and the former staff members. [7] A Malawi court dismissed a legal action by Madonna to prevent their charity project from being sued by former employees for unfair dismissal and non-payment of benefits. All of the former RMAG staff members, except for Oponyo, have since settled with RMI.
Raising Malawi now supports education projects in Malawi through constructing community-based schools in the Kasungu District [8] and by supporting scholarships for girls in secondary school. [9] Madonna's visit to Malawi in April 2013 to see these schools was soured by a war of words. While Madonna stated publicly that they remained committed to the children of Malawi [10] The government of Malawi, headed by President Joyce Banda, sister of Anjimile Mtila-Oponyo accused Madonna of lying and blackmail. Trevor Neilson, whose Global Philanthropy Group is managing Madonna's projects in Malawi, asserted that "The President of Malawi appears to be using their office to pursue the financial interests of their family." [11] A year earlier in April 2012, at the Macy's Herald Square launch of her new fragrance Truth or Dare by Madonnain New York, Madonna said they're happy that Malawi's former vice president is now leading the country. [12]
Oponyo has six children. [5] She is married to Patrick Oponyo. She is sister to the former president of Malawi, Joyce Banda, who is the founder of the development and education Joyce Banda Foundation. [5] She is sister-in-law to barrister, judge and former Malawi Chief Justice, Richard Banda.
Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 19,431,566. Malawi's capital is Lilongwe. Its second-largest is Blantyre, its third-largest is Mzuzu and its fourth-largest is its former capital, Zomba. The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name for the Chewa people who inhabit the area. The country is nicknamed "The Warm Heart of Africa" because of the friendliness of its people.
Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen of Pop", Madonna has been widely recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, and visual presentation. She has pushed the boundaries of artistic expression in mainstream music, while continuing to maintain control over every aspect of her career. Her works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A prominent cultural figure crossing both the 20th and 21st centuries, Madonna remains one of the most "well-documented figures of the modern age", with a broad amount of scholarly reviews, and literature and art works on her, as well as an academic mini subdiscipline devoted to her named Madonna studies.
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Raising Malawi is a charity non-profit organization that was founded by Madonna and Michael Berg in 2006. It is dedicated to helping with the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans, primarily through health and education programming. Initially, the "Raising Malawi Academy for Girls" was to be constructed but following an audit by the Global Philanthropy Group, which questioned expenditure on salaries and benefits as well as the management capacity and culture, the charity's school headmistress resigned in October 2010 and the project was scrapped.
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Khumbo Hasting Kachali is a Malawian politician who was Vice President of Malawi from April 2012 to May 2014, serving under President Joyce Banda. He is credited with being the first vice president from the Northern Region of Malawi. The three previous vice presidents came from the central and southern regions. Kachali previously held a number of cabinet positions between 2004 and 2010.
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People's Party is a political party in the Republic of Malawi that was founded in 2011 by Joyce Banda, Vice-President of Malawi from May 2009 to April 2012, and President from 7 April 2012 to 2014.
Richard Banda SC is a Malawian barrister and former athlete. He is a judge who formerly served as Chief Justice of Malawi and Eswatini and as Minister of Justice in Malawi. He was president of the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association and Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal. As a sportsman, Banda was a track and field athlete and soccer player. He is the spouse of the former President of Malawi, Joyce Banda and, as such, was the First Gentleman.
Marko Chiziko was the former Commander General of the Malawian Defence Force (MDF). He was born in Dowa at Chiziko Village, Chakhaza Traditional authority.
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Capital Hill Cashgate Scandal or "Cashgate" is a financial scandal involving looting, theft and corruption that happened at Capital Hill, the seat of Government of Malawi. The scandal was uncovered during the administration of President Joyce Banda, though it is believed to have begun prior to her taking office.
General elections were held in Malawi on 20 May 2014. They were Malawi's first tripartite elections, the first time the president, National Assembly and local councillors were elected on the same day. The presidential election was won by opposition candidate Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party, who defeated incumbent President Joyce Banda.
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