Madonna is following in the footsteps of talk show queen Oprah Winfrey with plans to build a girls’ school in Africa.

The Material Girl is in the process of applying to found the educational establishment in Malawi, where she adopted her son David in 2006.

She tells Elle, “I’m buying land and getting permission to build a girl’s school. The women will play a big role in the future and rebirth of Malawi.”

Winfrey co-founded the all-girls Henley-On-Klip Leadership Academy in South Africa in 2006. And Madonna, who currently governs a Malawi based charity project, isn’t the only U.S. star helping students in the African nation – actress and TV personality Ricki Lake is helping to build a school founded by her Malawian nanny.

WENN