He had been abandoned by his parents who were convinced that he was a witch. He was shunned by his village for the same superstitious reason. He was starving, filled with worms, and barely alive when a Danish care worker realized that someone needed to help. That’s when Anja Ringgren Lovén gave the boy a bottle of water and it was that image blew up all across social media.
Here’s The Photo That Started It All
And Here’s The Witch Child Today
Now in what is being considered a surprise decision by the publication, German language magazine Ooom has awarded Ms. Lovén the title of 2016’s most inspiring individual. She beat out such notable individuals as United States President Barack Obama, the Dali Llama and Pope Francis himself.
Ms. Loven’s Mission Is To Help All Children Abandoned Because Of Superstition
Being interviewed for the piece, Lovén made it very clear that there was not much she could do once she saw this boy.
“He was the size of a little baby…my whole body froze. I became a mother myself 20 months ago and I was thinking of my own son when I saw the boy. For me, it was clear at that moment that I would fight with all my strength for him to survive.”
She’s A Literal Lifesaver
When she saw the starving child, she acted like a human being and became an inspiration for millions. Her sustained the effort to help the abandoned children of Nigeria give us hope and encourages us to follow suit.
