Remember the Nigerian boy who was found abandoned and starving on the streets this past January? The boy was taken in by a Danish aid worker and is now healthy and thriving.
A few months ago, a picture of an emaciated child on the streets of Uyo, Nigeria was widely shared on social media.
Aid worker Anja Ringgren Lovén found the two-year old boy on the brink of starvation and riddled with worms. She provided much needed medical care and adopted the boy, naming him Hope.
Posted by DINNødhjælp - deres overlevelse on Monday, 1 February 2016
For 8 months, Hope was living on the streets and barely surviving with scraps from passersby. He was abandoned by his parents after being labeled as a witch.
Even though it’s a criminal offense in Akwa Ibom state, where Hope was found, to label a child as a witch, the practice still persists in some communities. Belief in witchcraft affects people worldwide. In Gambia, over 1,000 people accused of being witches in 2009 were locked up in detention centers and forced to drink a dangerous hallucinogenic potion.
Children accused of being witches are often ostracized and abandoned by their families and communities. Without any support, these children are at extreme risk of death from malnutrituion. About 45% of child deaths under the age of five are linked to malnutrition.
According to the Child's Rights and Rehabilitation Network, poverty is a driving factor in the continued belief in witchcraft, particularly in communities that lack access to education.
"Thousands of children are being accused of being witches and we've both seen torture of children, dead children and frightened children," Loven said on Facebook.
Since he was found, Hope has undergone a complete transformation. He looks much healthier and happier after gaining several pounds and undergoing treatment for his health complications.
Posted by DINNødhjælp - deres overlevelse on Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Hope’s story inspired people to donate over $1 million USD to the African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Loven that rescues Nigeria’s so called “witch children.” Her organization houses and cares for 35 other children who were left on the streets because of this harmful belief.
Despite his chances of survival having been so slim, Hope has made a remarkable recovery and his story has brought much needed awareness about children in similar situations. Check out the video below to learn more about Hope's transformation!