In late January 2016, a Danish aid worker went on a
rescue mission on the streets of Nigeria, and discovered a starving child on
the edge of death. The moment was captured in a haunting photograph, in which
she tilts a water bottle toward the frail young boy’s lips. One year later, the
same boy is starting school after a full recovery, and a recreation of his
first photo shows just how far he’s come.
Anja Ringgren Lovén works for an organisation called
DINNødhjælp (‘your relief’) which found the abandoned boy, appropriately named
Hope. They rescue children labelled as ‘witches’, who are often tortured and
killed by their own parents. Some religious leaders in Nigeria accuse children
of witchcraft in hopes of charging parents for supposed exorcism services, an
epidemic Anja and her team combat by sheltering affected children.
We previously wrote about Hope’s journey here and
here. Take a look at his timeline below, and see how just one year of love and
care gave him a completely fresh start.
Remember the starving, abandoned child found in
Nigeria in January 2016?
This is his first day of school, exactly one year
after he was rescued by Anja Ringgren Lovén
The boy, named Hope, was left to die by his parents
after being accused of ‘witchcraft’
He was taken to the hospital immediately, and was
treated for malnutrition and stomach worms
Just 8 months after his discovery, he started to gain
weight and regain his energy
He even received a fresh haircut to go along with his
new lease on life
Hope made a full recovery, and is barely recognizable
from before
He lives in an orphanage with other children cast out
as ‘witches’ by their parents
But really, who could accuse this face of anything
evil?
The orphanage, run by Anja Ringgren Lovén and her
team, proved to be a loving home for Hope
Anja works for DINNødhjælp (‘your relief’), a Danish
volunteer organisation active in Nigeria
“All children have rights and those rights must be
protected, always,” Anja writes on Facebook
One year of love and care gave Hope a completely fresh
start
Source : boredpanda.com