The little boy stood naked, hungry and thirsty on the streets of Nigeria. He was rejected by his family and the village because they thought he was a witch.
The strong video, which you can see at the top of the case, was taken during the recording of a documentary about Danish Anja Ringgren Lovén in 2016, and it provoked reactions all over the world.
Lovén already ran an orphanage in Nigeria with her husband, David, and the meeting with the boy changed their lives. The boy was named Hope, and their organization and orphanage was renamed Land of Hope.
– Very intelligent
It soon became clear that Hope could not hear. Probably a factor as to why they’re doing so poorly. Superstition is strong in the area, and illness, accidents and death are often associated with witchcraft.
But with a safe environment, food, love and education, Hope developed faster than one could dream of.
– FIVE YEARS LATER: This is the last picture of Hope. It was taken in August this year. Photo: Private / Land of Hope
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– Two weeks after he was rescued, he started school, and development accelerated. We soon discovered that he is very intelligent, and despite the fact that he cannot hear, he learns arithmetic and writing as fast as other children. He is also very good at painting and drawing, Lovén tells TV 2.
No one knows exactly how old Hope is. Investigations show that he is now between seven and nine years old.
– Anja Ringgren Lovén’s son, David Jr (left), was present when Lovén found Hope on the street, and visited him every day at the hospital for the first time. Since then, they have been close friends. – They are like knoll and tott when they are together, Lovén says. . Photo: Private
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– We have not succeeded in finding his parents, so no one can say when he was born, but he seems a little older than my own biological son, David Jr, who is seven years old, Lovén says.
Committed and confident
– Hope is going very well today. He is incredibly involved in everything that goes on around him. He is very creative. He loves to draw and paint. He also likes that it is tidy and orderly around him, and he is concerned about his appearance, says Lovén.
– At the same time, he is an ordinary boy who runs around and makes noise and has accidents. It shows that the process he has been through has been filled with love and care. He has really had a good time with us.
– Hope is now an estimated 8-9 years old. Six years after he was rescued, he has a good life at the Land of Hope orphanage. Photo: Private / Land of Hope
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– I think it shows that children require nothing but love and security to develop well and get through the traumas they bring with them, she says.
Is proud of the picture
Hope does not remember much of the rescue day himself, but Lovén has shown him the picture of the first meeting between the two many times.
– He is not scared or sad when he looks at the picture. He seems rather proud when he sees it. Proud of his change, that he is now big and strong, Lovén says.
– One of the things we teach our children is to love themselves, and Hope really does. He loves himself and has a lot of self-confidence, she laughs.
– Hope is very good at drawing and painting. Here he shows one of his works of art. Photo: Private
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The orphanage now has 80 children plus a number of children they follow up elsewhere. All children for good schooling, and have a principle that the orphanage should be built as a family, not an institution.
Superstition and black magic
Hope is just one of many thousands of children who are expelled because they are stigmatized as witches in Nigeria, but Hope is actually one of the lucky ones who was rescued.
Nigeria is one of the world’s most dangerous countries, and superstition, black magic and corruption are strong in the region where the orphanage is located.
– Every week we receive telephone calls and inquiries from church members or others who know us. I often get terrible videos of children who are in danger of death, says Lovén.
On Monday this week, she received a video of a small abused boy that the organization is now looking for. TV 2 has seen the video.
– I hope we find him, she says.
The video shows a child with visible wounds and scars sitting on the ground. He looks disoriented and hungry, but responds when spoken to.
– If a child has a disability, or the family is affected by illness or death, a child will often be blamed for this and accused of being a witch. Many disappear, many are beaten and tortured, and many are killed, Lovén says.
Self-appointed priests or witch doctors are often the ones who drive out the witch accusations.
– They make money on exorcism and black magic. It’s big business, she says.
Dangerous work
The efforts of Lovén and her husband do not come without a price. Nigeria is a dangerous country with a lot of crime, corruption and unrest. Both Denmark and Norway advises against travelr to several areas in the country, including the areas of the Nigeria Delta where the orphanage is located.
– Anja Ringgren Lovén, her husband David and son David Jr outside the orphanage Photo: Private
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All the attention Lovén and her husband received after the picture of Hope went viral, made the situation dangerous for them.
In the famous picture, Lovén has blonde hair, but after all the media coverage, she dyed it dark so that she would not be as conspicuous on the street in Nigeria.
– My husband asked me to dye my hair, and we had to get armed guards. We still have that, says Lovén.
The Danish woman does everything she can to help as many of the so-called witch children as possible, which has become difficult during the pandemic.
– Like all other organizations, we have struggled. Much of the income for the orphanage comes from the fact that I travel around and give lectures, so now it has been very difficult, says Lovén who is currently staying in Denmark.
Prevents
The Land of Hope organization not only works in the orphanage, but actively conducts preventive work in the villages. They provide information and teach, among other things, family planning.
In addition, they take the children who were previously accused of being witches back to the village, so that the villagers can be convinced that they are not witches anyway.
In their work, they are dependent on permits to rescue children from the police and authorities. Corruption is a widespread problem, but Lovén also talks about good helpers among the villagers and judges in the area.
Anja Ringgren Lovén will come to Norway in November. She has to give a lecture The House of Literature in Oslo at 13.30 on Sunday 21 November
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