Hope, a young boy from Akwa Ibom, found himself abandoned by his own family after they accused him of being a wizard.
However, after seven long years of separation, he has finally reunited with his mother. This heartwarming reunion was made possible through the efforts of Anja Lovén, a compassionate Dutch woman and the founder of Land of Hope.
On a hopeful Tuesday, Anja Lovén took to social media to share the incredible news of this heartwarming reunion.
“Hope´s mother was only 15 years old when she gave birth to Hope. She was still a child herself,” she wrote.
“Hope´s father was at that time nearly 50 years old and he was the Village Head. Definitely not an equal relationship. Unfortunately, it is very common for men in the rural communities to take any young girl they want to be their wife.”
She revealed that Hope’s real name is Steven.
“Hope’s mother has stayed at Land of Hope and Hope has developed a close bond with her. It took him some time to forgive her but in Hope’s story his mother is innocent. She never left him in the village to die,” Lovén said.
“She was forced to leave the village when she got pregnant with Hope´s younger brother Daniel at the age of only 16 years old. She was sent to Lagos and this entire story involves rape, child labour and abuse and I can therefore not reveal all the details.”
This comes a year after Hope met his father.
In 2016, Lovén captured the world’s attention with a powerful image. The photograph depicted her kneeling before a frail and emaciated child, commonly referred to as a “child witch.” Moved by compassion, she offered the child biscuits and water, gently cradled him in her arms, and rushed him to a nearby hospital. At that critical moment, few believed the child would overcome the odds and survive.
