A British humanitarian worker has saved a tiny African boy from the brink of death after she found him wandering the streets, naked and lousy with parasites.
Anja Ringgren Loven, a Dane living in Uyo, in southern Nigeria, immediately began to give water and food to the toddler, who she named Hope.
It is believed Hope was turned away by his family after being deemed a witch.
“Thousands of children are being accused of being witches and we’ve both seen torture of children, dead children and frightened children,” she wrote on Facebook.
Plagued by worms and needing blood transfusions, Hope was treated at the local hospital and his condition has improved significantly.
“Hope’s condition is stable now. He’s taking food for himself and he responds to the medicine he gets,” Ms Loven said.
“Today, he has had powers to sit up and smile at us. He’s a strong little boy.”
Ms Loven, having appealed for donations to fund Hope’s recovery, was overwhelmed as $1 million flowed in.
Hope now lives at an orphanage run by Ms Loven and her husband, David Emmanuel Umem, and says her other young son has taken to playing with the plucky little lad.
“I just don’t know how to describe it in words,” Ms Loven wrote.
“This is what makes life so beautiful and valuable and therefore I will let the pictures speak for themselves.”
