Is this the baby Madonna plans to adopt?

This is David, the 13-month-old boy Madonna is believed to be set to adopt from an orphanage in Malawi.

His father has claimed that Madonna had chosen his son, whose mother died a week after giving birth to him, after seeing him in the orphanage that has been caring for him.

And he said that, while heartbroken that the child would be leaving Africa for a new life in Britain, he knew David would have a far better future with the millionaire music star than he could ever provide.

The orphanage owners said tonight that the 48-year-old singer fell for David after meeting him twice last week in the southern African country.

'She paid particular attention to David. She was so excited, she was giggling as she carried him around,' said Thomson Chipeta Jnr, the son of Pastor Chipeta who runs the Home for Hope Orphanage 80km from the village of Lipunga.

Madonna's spokeswoman was not available for comment tonight, though speaking in recent days has been careful not to rule out the possibility she would adopt an African child.

David's father spoke of his heartbreak at giving up his son for adoption to the star - but said it was to provide the best future for him.

Yohane Banda, 32, was forced to put David into an orphanage when he could not support him.

His mother, Marita, 28, died of fever in the days following David's birth and Yohane found it impossible to cope with a newborn baby on his own.

Yohane, a potato and onion farmer, said: 'I'm the father of David who has been adopted by Madonna.

'I'm very happy. As you can see there is poverty in this village. I know he will be very happy. We are told David will be coming back regularly to know his roots.

'Marita had miscarried twice before and the doctors told her she had to come into hospital for David. She died about a week after giving birth to him.'

A white Nissan jeep carrying a member of Madonna's security team arrived at David's orphanage to pick up him and his foster mother at 5pm on Monday and took them to the Kimbali Lodge, where Madonna has been staying.

'As of now, the baby is gone,' Thomson Chipeta said. He said a medical team had examined David a week before he was presented to Madonna.

Locals officials say Madonna is working out a deal with representatives from the village and the orphanage which will lead to building and infrastructure development over the next few years.

'The deal will be explained to us later by the Pastor and an official handover is being arranged for a few days time,' Mr Banda said.

Mr Banda lives in a straw thatched mud hut. His mother Asineti Mwale, 56, said: 'When Rev Chipeta came here yesterday, he told us that David has been adopted by a famous American musician. Having been brought up an orphan myself, I'm very glad. I know how tough it is to grow up without proper parenting.

'We pray for the woman who has adopted David and for God to bless her for the rest of her life.'

Marita and Yohane grew up together and had been a couple for at least ten years.

Their first two pregnancies were stillborn and the couple had no other children.

There were complications during the pregnancy with baby David.

Marita was told she would need a Caesarian section and had to travel the 100km on a dirt road to the nearest hospital as soon as her labour started.

She made it just in time to give birth to David and died from complications a week later.

Villagers in Lipunga live a hand to mouth existence as farmers. There are about 30 tiny, one room huts with ten to 15 people living in each one.

All meals are cooked outside and villagers sleep on straw mats.

Last week, the Mail reported how 12 orphans had been selected for Madonna to chose from prior to her arrival in the capital, Lilongwe.

'She asked us to identify boys only, which we have done after visiting four orphanages in Lilongwe,' government spokesman Adrina Michiela said. She said Madonna had initially wanted to adopt a girl but had changed her mind two weeks ago. The singer, who already has a daughter, Lourdes, nine, and son, Rocco, five, has apparently been allowed to bypass the country's ban on nonresident adoptions.