Hope was starving and riddled with worms after being dumped by his family and living on the streets for eight months

A heartbreaking series of photographs shows the moment an emaciated two-year-old Nigerian boy, riddled with worms and reportedly abandoned by his family because they thought he was a witch, is given water by an aid worker.

He had lived on the streets for eight months, surviving on scraps and whatever he could find, before being discovered by Anja Ringgren Lovén, the Danish founder of the African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation.

In the pictures – which went viral online bringing in 1 million Danish Krone (£104,000) from wellwishers - she is seen helping him drink water.

She then wrapped the boy in a blanket and took him to the nearest hospital.

After two days of care, she wrote that his condition had greatly improved.

“He’s taking food for himself, and he responds to the medicine he gets," she wrote in a blog post. "Today he has had powers to sit up and smiling at us. He’s a strong little boy. To see him sit and play with my own son is without doubt the greatest experience of my life! I just don’t know how to describe it in words.”

She added that she had named the boy Hope (a word she has tattooed on her knuckles).

Ms Loven set up her charity three years ago to help children accused of being witches. She said it was problem with wide-reaching effects.

“Thousands of children are being accused of being witches and we've both seen torture of children, dead children and frightened children,” she wrote in a Facebook post accompanying the pictures of Hope.

“This footage shows why I fight. Why I sold everything I own.”

She said that Hope was battling worms but added that he would soon be well enough to join the other children she looks after in Uyo, southern Nigeria.


Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/12158943/Aid-worker-rescues-two-year-old-Nigerian-boy-accused-of-being-a-witch.html?sf20995587=1


I know there are mysteries in Life, but why bring a child into this world only to accuse said child of witchcraft and abandon him!

In my opinion, only a witch begets a witch! Therefore you the accusers are also guilty of witchcraft if there's anything like that

• Look at the Danish Lady even with so much ink on her body, she has a big heart to support and care for kids 'tattooless people' have abandoned... Lets stop judging people by their appearance!

Oh my....poor little kid. Tears actually built up in my eyes reading this. A 2-year old living on the streets for 8 months? Thank God help has come his way. Religion has really blinded the reasoning of some people. Somebody that has done absolutely nothing wrong!!!

The parents of the child should rot in jail!!! And they will ask God to give them more children.

#teamhope
how many likes for him?

I am crying and smiling at the same time. What a cute boy.

Let me not say anything about Nigeria now, it would be unfair and rude.

Anja should be careful, they will soon accuse her of witchcraft too for having tattoos all over her body.


Welcome to the jungle!

The people who left that child there are worse than devil. I hope they pay for their sins in this life

I can't speak for d boy now , o god deliver me

jmichlins:
The people who left that child there are worse than devil. I hope they pay for their sins in this life

Amen, they surely will... along with several others like them

jmichlins:
The people who left that child there are worse than devil. I hope they pay for their sins in this life

Forgive them for they know not what they do.

The evil that men do.

How can a "mother" retire for the night, bolt and lock down the doors of her home, knowing her 2 year old son - the child she carried for nine months in the womb and gave birth to, is out there alone in the dark, unprotected?

Didn't his cries move her? Or the dad?

Those are the real witches and wizards.

OMG

EfemenaXY:
The evil that men do.

How can a "mother" retire for the night, bolt and lock down the doors of her home, knowing her 2 year old son - the child she carried for nine months in the womb and gave birth to, is out there alone in the dark, unprotected?

Didn't his cries move her? Or the dad?

Those are the real witches and wizards.

I am not capable of understanding what could cause a woman to entirely disconnect from her natural instinct to protect her child.
I can't even feel angry with her because something tells me that something is very wrong with her.

Mindfulness:



I am not capable of understanding what could cause a woman to entirely disconnect from her natural instinct to protect her child.
I can't even feel angry with her because something tells me that something is very wrong with her.

It's common practice in some regions. Documentaries have been made attesting to it.

Let's just put it all down to acute ignorance and poverty.

EfemenaXY:


It's common practice in some regions. Documentaries have been made attesting to it.

Let's just put it all down to acute ignorance and poverty.

Is it really poverty? I wonder.
I have a lovely neighbor, a white, elderly lady who loves telling stories of her childhood. She was a teenager when WW II ended and she says that many people were very poor back in the day but she always mentions how poverty made them stick to each other in loving kindness and how supportive and hospitable everyone was. It always makes me wonder if it is selective memory or if people in other parts of the world handled poverty differently.

Mindfulness:


Is it really poverty? I wonder.
I have a lovely neighbor, a white, elderly lady who loves telling stories of her childhood. She was a teenager when WW II ended and she says that many people were very poor back in the day but she always mentions how poverty made them stick to each other in loving kindness and how supportive and hospitable everyone was. It always makes me wonder if it is selective memory or if people in other parts of the world handled poverty differently.

Poverty on it's own won't drive a parent to turn a blind eye to a "pastor" drilling a nail into their 5 year old daughter's head to drive out witchcraft.

Ignorance plays a huge part.

We Nigerians can sometimes behave like...

Mindfulness:


Forgive them for they know not what they do.

forgiveness is of the lord but until then, they will have the taste of hell

mymadam:


Amen, they surely will... along with several others like them

the whites will make heaven before the blacks not because they are righteous but because this evil will never happen around them. This woman gave the poor boy water when many left him to care for himself for eight months. The good Samarithan comes to mind

jmichlins:
forgiveness is of the lord but until then, they will have the taste of hell

Why? Was it not your God, the Almighty and the All-Knowing who created them like this?

Mindfulness:


Why? Was it not your God, the Almighty and the All-Knowing who created them like this?

my GOD is a loving father and nobody is witch

jmichlins:
my GOD is a loving father and nobody is witch

A loving father who is roasting his own children in hell? I see.

Mindfulness:


A loving father who is roasting his own children in hell? I see.

you can say what you like about him but we that know him knows that he is not what you think of him. Having said that the people that did this to that boy need to experience hell

what a pity even there are still many other children out there.
Nice job African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation

Can't hold back tears..jeeezz
So people are still this ignorant in Nigeria? Some other kids may be going through same now
God help Nigeria; We need more love, compassion and human feeling. .

Thank you African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation.. more power to your elbow

Hope is destined for greatness

gosh!!! which state did dis happen? This is sooooo touching. The parents are heartless.more God blessings to u little cute boy.ur a great child.