Remember This Viral Photo Of A Nigerian 'Witch'? You Should See Him Now

January 31, 2017

Exactly one year ago, Hope was living on the streets of Nigeria, riddled with worms, on the brink of starvation and cast out from his community accused of being a "witch".

This image of Danish philanthropist Anja Ringgren Lovén giving water to Hope was shared around the world.

Nigerian witch boy Hope before and after
Credit: Anja Ringgren Lovén

Hope was taken to the African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation (ACAEDF), which Lovén founded with her husband David.

Nigerian witch boy Hope before and after
Credit: Anja Ringgren Lovén

Now, new pictures shared by Lovén on her Facebook page reveal the extraordinary transformation he has undergone.

Nigerian witch boy Hope before and after
Credit: Anja Ringgren Lovén

"On the 30 of January 2016 I went on a rescue mission with David Emmanuel Umem, Nsidibe Orok and our Nigerian team," Lovén wrote on Facebook. "A rescue mission that went viral, and today it's exactly 1 year ago the world came to know a young little boy called Hope."

hope boy nigeria
Credit: Anja Ringgren Lovén

This week Hope will start school.

Nigerian witch boy Hope before and after
Credit: Anja Ringgren Lovén

Lovén gave up everything she had in Denmark to set up the foundation for Nigeria's so-called "witch children".

She said she first saw the problems created by superstition in rural Nigeria when she traveled there alone three years ago and met children "who had been tortured and beaten almost to death because they were accused of being witches and therefore left alone on the street."

You can support Lovén's mission by making a donation on her website here.

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