( CNN ) -- Madonna will hear Friday whether she will be allowed to adopt a child from Malawi , a spokeswoman for the African nation 's attorney general told CNN Monday . Madonna holds her adopted Malawian son , David Banda , in 2007 . The singer was in court in Malawi , one of the poorest nations in the world , on Monday for a hearing in the case , said Zione Ntaba , press officer for the country 's Attorney General 's Office . The judge read documents and questioned the parties , the spokeswoman said . Madonna should appear in person Friday to hear the judge 's decision , Ntaba said . The child Madonna is seeking to adopt is named Chifundo James , she confirmed . `` Chifundo '' means `` Mercy , '' the name earlier reports have cited for the girl , Ntaba added . An uncle of the girl was scheduled to sign adoption papers Monday , according to Martin Geissler , a reporter for the ITN television network who is in Malawi , but he does not appear to have been in the court . The child 's family will have to give their permission for the adoption to proceed , Geissler said , but need not be physically present in the court to do so . Madonna arrived at the court Monday morning in a convoy of four SUVs with black-out windows , Geissler said from the capital Lilongwe . Eight security guards prevented journalists and the press from getting too close to the 50-year-old singer . `` She 's keeping very tight-lipped , '' Geissler said . Chifundo James is reported to be 4-years-old . She has two uncles and a grandfather , who were not in court Monday , Geissler said . An international charity has criticized Madonna 's plan to adopt the child . `` The best place for a child is in his or her family in their home community , '' spokesman Dominic Nutt of Save the Children said in a statement . `` Most children in orphanages have one parent still living , or have an extended family that can care for them in the absence of their parents . '' The charity argued that foreign adoptions should happen only if a child does not have any relatives , and all other options have been considered . Under Malawian law , foreign adopters would have to spend a year or more living in the African country with the children they want to adopt , Geissler said . The rules were put in place to prevent child trafficking . The purpose of the law , Ntaba explained , is for the authorities to observe the prospective parent to make sure the relationship is not abusive -- `` that the parent will behave well around the child , '' she said . She said that American or British social services may also provide the monitoring and in the case of David Banda , the first Malawian child Madonna adopted , Malawi social services officers traveled to the United Kingdom to visit the child in Madonna 's home . The judge has the discretion to allow Madonna to take the child home with her immediately , Geissler said . She is scheduled to leave Saturday , he said . Madonna adopted David Banda from Malawi in 2006 . She has two other children . Press reports say Chifundo James 's teenaged mother died days after giving birth to her , Geissler said . She lives in an orphanage . `` Madonna first came into contact with her a few years ago and fell in love with her , '' he added . `` She has always had in mind that this is the girl she was going to come back and adopt . '' Madonna has been involved with Malawi for several years . She made a documentary , `` I Am Because We Are , '' which highlighted poverty , AIDS and other diseases devastating Malawi 's children . She also helps run a nonprofit , Raising Malawi , which implements initiatives to help the needy in the southeastern Africa nation . On Sunday , Madonna arrived in Malawi and toured the village of Chinkhota , assessing plans to build a school there and other possible Raising Malawi investments . Do you think Madonna should be allowed to adopt another child ? CNN 's Ben Brumfield contributed to this report .
Madonna will learn Friday if she can adopt another Malawian child . The U.S. State Department said Thursday that the agency has received a request from Malawi to take custody of one of its citizens who is being held in Malawi. Save the Children spokesman says Madonna should reconsider the move .