Malawi: Madonna Opens Up About How She Is Raising Malawi

U.S. pop star Madonna, has told America's People magazine about her life as a mom, her emotional adoption journey of four Malawian born children -- and why she's dedicated to helping the children of Malawi through her foundation, the Raising Malawi.

The 59-year-old musician adopted the five-year-old girls from a Malawian orphanage as sisters for the two children from the country she is already mother to, David and Mercy, both 11.

The musician told the magazine that she once 'cried herself to sleep' after reading headlines accusing her of 'kidnapping' her adopted 11-year-old son David from Lilongwe orphanage, Home of Hope, back in 2008.

"In my mind, I was thinking, 'Wait a minute. I'm trying to save somebody's life. Why are you all s***ing on me right now?" I did everything by the book. That was a real low point for me,' the Queen of Pop lamented to People .

'I've had some pretty dark moments, but I'm a survivor... It's complicated, but it's so worth it.'

Little David had been battling pneumonia and malaria at the time.

The Raising Malawi founder - who's also mother to Rocco, 17; and Lourdes, 20 - encountered similar stresses adopting 11-year-old Mercy and orphaned twins Esther and Stella, 5.

In 2009, Madonna adopted Mercy after initially being blocked by Malawian officials, a decision she blames on sexist attitudes towards her after she divorced filmmaker Guy Ritchie.

'The way I was treated - that sexist behavior - was ridiculous,' Madonna, , who successfully challenged their refusal in Malawi's Supreme Court, said.

Madonna also told the magizne that although the twins have settled into her family well, they have no idea she's a world cerebirity star.

"They don't have a clue," she said. "and that's a good thing. I'm just their mother."

Estere and Stelle are apparently fans of the soundtracks to animated musical movies Moana and Sing, but were shocked when their mother's 1983 hit Holiday was played on the radio and David told his new sisters it was her song.

Madonna recently moved her brood to Lisbon, Portugal to enable David to enroll in football club Benfica's youth academy.