By Vicor Ochieng
Hope is the name of a young boy whose photo did rounds online after he was found on the street starving and taken to an orphanage. In the photo, the Nigerian boy was shown being fed drinking water by a white lady.
The little boy was really malnourished and tired.
However, just about three months after the photo went viral, the lady, Anja Ringgren Loven, an aid worker, posted photos of Hope in his current condition, and you can’t believe the contrast. In the new photo, the boy appears happy and healthy.
Hope wasn’t like other kids who’re malnourished but are under the care of their parents. In his case, it was actually his parents who abandoned him on the street after accusing him of witchcraft. Loven, who founded African Children’s Aid Education and Development Foundation, offered the boy food and water and took him to hospital for medical attention.
After sharing a photo of the boy, it went viral, getting thousands of comments and more than 20,000 likes. But that wasn’t all, many well-wishers poured in donations in their hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Thousands of children are being accused of being witches and we’ve both seen torture of children, dead children and frightened children,” Lovén said in a January Facebook post. “This shows why I fight. Why I sold everything I own. Why I’m moving out in uncharted territory.”
After coming out of the hospital, Hope was taken to Loven’s orphanage, where he’s spending quality time with other children. The orphanage aims at providing sanctuary for children accused of witchcraft; ensuring that they get housing, food, healthcare, and education.
“As you can see on the pictures Hope is really enjoying his life now having 35 new brothers and sisters,” Lovén said in a post. “[They] take such good care of him, play with him, study with him, and make sure he is safe and is getting a lot of love.”
Loven also posted a picture of Hope and other children, wearing sports attires. In the post, Loven says, “This week the children had atlethics games in school and was wearing sports clothes. Hope was also looking fine in his white trousers and fine shirt.”
Hope, however, still has a condition called hypospadiacs, which affects the urethra. Mayo Clinic says the condition can easily be repaired. The little boy is undergoing surgery to address the condition this week.
The photos and stories of hope have inspired many people from across the globe.
A Norwegian man recently started a Facebook campaign in which he asked people to post photos of Hope and many people have responded from across the globe.
“This greeting is meant especially for the little boy, Hope,” reads the campaign message. “It’s also a greeting to ALL children in the world, with hope that they will live a safe and meaningful life full of love, joy and happiness.”
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