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In 2016, Danish aid worker Anja Lovén encountered a malnourished 2-year-old boy in Nigeria. One of an estimated 20,000 children who are accused of being witches, he was cast off by the village and left to fend for himself. But a photo of Lovén giving him water and crackers went viral, highlighting his harrowing plight. Lovén named him Hope and brought the boy to live at her orphanage, Land of Hope, which takes in children accused of witchcraft.
“A child stigmatized as a witch will end up being abused, beaten, tortured, abandoned, and some killed,” she explains on Instagram. “Killed by being burned alive, buried alive, or decapitated. It is cold hard evidence and I'm yet to see any efforts from the Nigerian government to stop it.
“I have lived part-time in Nigeria for 11 years, and there have been absolutely zero improvements when it comes to children’s rights.”
In Nigeria's poverty-stricken communities, witchcraft is often used to explain hardships like death, divorce, or illness. Sometimes, if a child contracts a disease like malaria or was born with deformities, or simply has behavioral issues, witchcraft is used as an excuse.
Lovén also explains that this superstition is a profitable business for pastors. They can accuse a child of being a witch and then charge the family a hefty fee to perform an exorcism. And, of course, many families cannot afford this service and abandon their children out of fear.
That's where Land of Hope comes in. The organization has 93 children living at its orphanage and it also works to educate the public about these superstitions. They aim to maintain familial bonds and allow children to spend time with their families to keep sibling bonds intact. They also promote education, and currently, 17 children attend university.
Today, Hope is thriving at the center. “We do not know whether it is due to this condition that he is now diagnosed as deaf and mute, but he can’t speak,” the organization shared in a 2023 update. “Despite that, he is a fun-loving boy with self-confidence and a great desire to tell stories, and he has just found his own way of expressing himself.”
2023 was a special year for Hope, as it was the year that Lovén and Land of Hope found his biological mother. She was just 15 when she gave birth to the boy, whom she had named Steven. She lived with her parents, who died shortly after Hope was born. The child’s father is a 50-year-old village leader. Just a year later, at 16, Hope's mother fell pregnant again and was sent to Lagos to work while being forced to leave Hope behind. She continues to live there with Hope's brother.
Land of Hope was able to reunite mother and son in a moving moment, and the young mom was able to spend time at the center for them to begin to forge a relationship. The organization hopes to bring her back again, along with Hope's brother, to continue the healing process. Hope's story and the story of his mother help us understand that these issues are complex and that abandonment isn't always voluntary. Hope's mother was a child herself and the victim of abuse.
To learn more about Hope's story and development, Lovén's work, and the incredible children at Land of Hope, watch the documentary The One with Hope, currently streaming on HBO Max. If you want to support the Land of Hope's work, check out the page on their website about donations and sponsorship.
In 2016, a photo of Danish aid worker Anja Lovén helping a malnourished toddler in Nigeria went viral.
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Lovén is an activist who fights against unfortunate superstitions in Nigeria that allow children to be accused of witchcraft, which leads to then being abandoned.
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Currently, 93 children—including Hope—live at the Land of Hope orphanage.
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Though Hope has speech challenges, he is thriving.
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In 2023, they were able to find Hope's mother, who was only 15 years old when she gave birth. She has spent time with him at the orphanage and they've slowly created a bond.
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Learn more about Lovén's work, Hope, and the other incredible children at Land of Hope in the HBO Max documentary The One with Hope.
Photo courtesy of HBO Max/Land of Hope
Land of Hope: Website | Instagram | Facebook
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