Madonna’s Son David Banda Claims He’s ‘Scavenging’ For Food

David Banda, the adopted son of singer Madonna, says he has been having a great experience since moving out of his mother’s home.

Despite no longer having access to his mother’s wealth and luxury and having to scavenge for food, sometimes the teenager won’t have it any other way.

David Banda is also keen on humanitarian acts and recently volunteered with an NGO to teach orphans in Malawi about music and playing the guitar.

Banda is the latest of Madonna’s six children to leave the luxury of their mother’s home in a bid to make it on his own. The teenager now lives in The Bronx in a humble apartment with his girlfriend, Maria Atuesta.

Recently, he got candid about his experience, saying that although it has been far from smooth, he has enjoyed it in his own way.

“I love it. I’m not on my own, I’ve got my girlfriend. But I love it,” Banda said on an Instagram about living independently, per the Daily Mail.

He added, “It’s lovely to experience it being nine o’clock at night, me being hungry and realizing that I don’t have enough money to get food and scavenging. It’s fun to be young.”

On the side, Banda teaches music enthusiasts guitar lessons online at a rate of $200 for a one-hour session. Prospective students can book him via a link on his Instagram page.

While Banda is all about living independently now, he allowed Madonna to throw him a lavish bash when he turned 18 in September last year.

Scenes from the posh event featured the birthday boy dressed in a tux and having fun with Madonna, his younger siblings Mercy James, and twins Stella and Estere.

The pop icon also took to Instagram to celebrate Banda, reflecting on how far they have come since she first met him at an orphanage in Africa.

She wrote, “It is impossible to believe that almost 18 years have gone by since We met you in Mchinji at Home of Hope Orphanage! Your [tribal name Senzangakhona] means ‘Speak the truth!’ I couldn’t think of a better name for an artist!”

She concluded the post, “You are growing into a truly remarkable human being! We are all so proud [of] you! You light up like the brightest star!”

Madonna and Banda share a strong connection despite the latter being her adopted child. The iconic singer once spoke about how he would often wear her clothes even better than her.

“He’ll put on any outfit and look swag as you know what. It’s really irritating. He wears my clothes and looks better in them,” Madonna joked in a 2022 interview with “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” per Today.

She also heaped praises on him in a 2019 interview with Vogue, saying that she connects more with him than her other children.

“What [David] has more than anything is focus and determination. I’m pretty sure he got it from me.” the proud mum said at the time, per Style. “I feel like he gets me; he has more of my DNA than any of my other children so far.”

Banda also embraced Madonna’s love for humanitarian acts, recently volunteering at a local school in his home country of Malawi to teach orphans about music and playing the guitar.

“As I am on my way back to my home country of Malawi, I would like to give back – and engage my friends and fans in this effort,” the guitarist wrote on his Instagram page.

He added, “We are bringing guitar strings, picks, books, and other music based accessories and tools to advance the incredible music program and talented students within this beautiful school.”

Banda also asked for donations from his friends and fans to help “fund and sustain” the school’s music and arts program and “support college and workforce training scholarships” for eager students who were eager to begin “building their futures.”

In a social media post in July last year, Madonna attributed her speedy recovery after a shocking health scare to the love and care of her children, writing that her kids came through for her during the challenging time.

Madonna said, “Love from family and friends is the best Medicine. One month out of the hospital and I can reflect.”

“As a Mother you can really get caught up in the needs of your children and the seemingly endless giving…But when the chips were down my children really showed up for me. It made all the difference. So did the love and support from my friends,” she added.

The singer shocked many in June 2023 when it was revealed that she had been hospitalized prior to the start of her world tour due to an acute bacterial infection. Because of the incident, Madonna had to postpone the tour; however, she resumed back and better and went on to put on some of the greatest shows of her career across the globe.