Madonna Reveals Why Raising Malawi Brought Her 'So Much Closer' to Her Kids as Charity Launches New Initiative (Exclusive)

Madonna’s family — and famous friends — are helping her give back.

On March 11, the queen of pop hosted an event to raise money and awareness for her charity, Raising Malawi, which aims to improve the lives of children in the African nation at the Mercy James Centre, the country’s only pediatric hospital.

A-listers including Amy Schumer, Chris Rock and Diane Von Furstenberg were on hand as the organization unveiled a new initiative, allowing supporters to become Raising Malawi Partners. Partners can contribute any amount of money monthly to provide life-changing medical care at the Mercy James Centre, while receiving exclusive access to regular updates on the nonprofit’s work and behind-the-scenes video content, as well as the chance to win exclusive merchandise and experiences. (Click here for more on Raising Malawi Partners.)

By becoming partners, individuals can expect “having up-to-date information and saving children’s lives,” Madonna, 66, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Since she launched Raising Malawi in 2006, Madonna has donated millions of dollars to improve the lives of children in the African nation. In 2008, the pop icon released I Am Because We Are, a documentary chronicling the plight of the Malawi people. Then in 2017, she opened the Mercy James Centre, the first pediatric hospital in the country.

Throughout her nearly 20 years of work in Malawi, Madonna is proudest of “the making of the I Am Because We Are documentary because it brought so much awareness and support to the AIDS crisis that was happening at the time,” she tells PEOPLE, “and building the Mercy James pediatric hospital.”

The hospital is named after Madonna’s daughter, Mercy James, 19, whom she adopted after meeting her during her travels with Raising Malawi; Madonna also adopted son David Banda, 19, and twin daughters Estere and Stella, 12, from Malawi and is mom to daughter Lourdes Leon, 28, and Rocco Ritchie, 24, from previous relationships.

Indeed, Madonna tells PEOPLE the biggest way her work with Raising Malawi has changed her life “was meeting my four adopted children, who have impacted my life forever.”

And Raising Malawi’s mission has become a family affair.

“We are so much closer because we have a common goal, and that is making Malawi a better country for kids to grow up,” Madonna says.

Madonna invited PEOPLE to join her and her family in Malawi for the Mercy James Centre’s opening. “I’m here to save lives," she told PEOPLE in a 2017 cover story at the time. "I don’t want to be the outsider that comes in. I want to help them help themselves.”

She added: “I love when my kids are in Africa. ... Their selfless behavior, compared to the normal complaining in the privileged world we live in, is great to see.”