Every time Nigeria is prominent in the international media for all sorts of wrong reasons. This time around it is not about Boko Haram; it is not about the economy; it is about a family’s rejection of a two-year-old boy for alleged witchcraft in Akwa Ibom.
It took a tattooed Danish woman, Anja Ringgren Loven, to save the little boy. Forget about the tattoos all over her body, what matters most is her kind heart. A heart that knows right over wrong, a heart of godliness over evil, a heart of kindness and love over cruelty and hatred. The heart of Anja is a heart of gold; a heart that makes God smile and proud.
The boy who was named “Hope” by Anja was left to feed off road-side junk thrown at him by passers-by for 8 months in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom state.
Anja had to sell all her belongings to be able to care for Hope but thank God she has been able to raise $1 million for his road to recovery. The money was donated by Danes.
Anja made an important remark about the attitude of Nigerian leaders. She said,
“A promising child almost wasted by Nigerian government. I have adopt him as my son, his name is Hope Anja Ringgren. I have chosen to call the boy ‘Hope’, for right now, we all hope that he survives.”
I could not believe that this kind of practice still exists in Nigeria at this age of advanced technology and in an era of light over darkness. Whereas, it is a criminal offense in Akwa Ibom state, where Hope was found, to label a child a witch, but the practice persists.
So where was Akwa Ibom State government? Where are the Akwa Ibom state lawmakers? Where is the enforcement of our laws? Where is the monitoring system? Hope couldn't have fallen from heaven; so who and where are the wicked parents? How did they determine that Hope was a witch?
Where are the so called Christians and Muslims who ply the road of Uyo on daily basis and see the little boy but turn their eyes away? And come to think of it; Anja may not belong to any of the religions of the Book - Christianity and Islam. Her religion is her heart of kindness. While these religions of the Book shout everyday and do very little, Anja allows her heart of kindness do the talking. While these religions of the Book are fighting for supremacy everyday, Anja is fighting to make life meaningful for the poor, the needy and the rejected.
Who then is the person of God? Look no further than Anja Ringgren Loven!
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