EMMA THOMPSON - THOMPSON PRAISES MADONNA ADOPTION

THOMPSON PRAISES MADONNA ADOPTION

British actress EMMA THOMPSON has praised MADONNA for adopting Malawian baby DAVID BANDA last month (0CT06). The SENSE AND SENSIBILITY star has seen the plight of Malawi's children orphaned by AIDS first hand after becoming involved in charity work in the African country. Shocked by the suffering she saw, in 2003 Thompson also welcomed an African orphan - 16-year-old TINDY - into her home after meeting the Rwandan refugee in London. And the 47-year-old is convinced Madonna has made the right decision, despite taking David away from his native country and culture. She says, "Malawi is a very difficult country, with tremendous problems with AIDS. "While I understand the arguments about taking people away from their culture, there is a culture of deprivation and poverty that is not fun to be part of. "She found a child in desperate need. Some people want to bring up a child personally, others want to act in a more general way, but both ways are surely to be welcomed."