Madonna in Brazil to discuss social projects

The 51-year-old star is in Rio to visit some of the Brazilian city’s slums, or “favelas”, and meet with one of the country’s richest businessmen to discuss setting up social projects, said state Governor Sergio Cabral.

“She will get to know some social projects; she is enchanted with Rio and wants to help,” Cabral said. The beachside city has about 1,000 slums, many of them controlled by violent drug gangs or other armed groups.

The singer is expected to visit several poor communities. Local news media say she also will meet with Brazilian first lady Marisa Leticia.

Last month, Madonna spent nearly a week in the southern African country of Malawi, where she broke ground on a $15 million academy for girls and visited the orphanage that cared for her son David before she adopted him.