David Banda's father to visit Madonna in UK

A Scots nurse has sent farmer Yohane a cheque for his fare

Sunday, 7 January 2007

Scottish nurse Christine Webster, 60, has sent Yohane Banda a cheque for £400 to help him travel to see his son David at Madonna's London home.

The farmer claims that he has not heard any news about the one-year-old since he left to live with the Ritchies three months ago and he has received no help from the Malawian government to help him contact the family.

Yohane, 32, plans to fly from Malawi to the UK for a week-long trip, reports The Sunday Times - Scotland.

'I know that my initial agreement with Madonna was that I would see him after two to three years,' he says. 'But I just miss him and want to see him now.

'I only need a week in February to see and play with my child. If there is enough money I would like to take my mother. She loves her grandson so much.'

Little David's mother died a week after childbirth. His grandmother Asianati Mwale says: 'It pains me that my son should worry. No pictures have been sent to us so far.'

Government officials in Malawi maintain that they have no record of Yohane contacting them and insist they would be happy to inform him of his son’s wellbeing.

'We are monitoring them [the Ritchie family] and the child is doing fine,' said Adrina Mchiela, principal secretary in the Ministry for Gender and Child Welfare.

Will the Ritchies accept a visit from Yohane? A spokesman for Madonna told The Sunday Times that she was on holiday with her family and could not be reached for comment.

The superstar signed interim adoption papers in October which allow David to live with her and Guy for a monitoring period of 18 months after which final approval may be given for him to stay.

She has previously explained: 'I was told that from the day that he was left in the orphanage he was not visited by any extended family members. That's really why I became interested in him.'