© 2016 Awom Kenneth
Brilio.net/en - Even in this modern world, witchcraft is still an adhering issue in Nigeria, as large numbers of children are accused of witchcraft has become victims. Those innocent souls are being punished and abandoned by their families, and eventually became homeless drifters.
The poor young children have neither a place to sleep nor foods to eat, and some of them are dying from starvation.
According to Samuel Waje Kunhiyop of HCTU, these children are usually orphans and accused of killing their parents or siblings. If something bad occurs, they easily became the black sheep and eventually punished. They were tortured and beaten up to make them confessed to admit a crime.
Elderly people, widows, parents of deceased children, women and childern are mostly the unfortunate victims of the witchcraft accusation in Nigeria, which are widely believed to have caused unpleasant incidents, suffering and pain throughout their families. Almost 80% of witchcraft accusation victims are women.
The victims arent be able to protect or defend themselves, as they are lack of supports, innocent, powerless, tortured, rejected and hated by their community in which they suffer from a physical and emotional trauma. According to local norms, they have no right to defend themselves either.
The irony of the situation is not lost on the people. Suffering a great loss only to be rejected by their community and accused of witchcraft.
This terrible situation moved a woman to take actions and work on a mission to save the children, to give them new hopes. Anja Ringgren Loven eventually sold all that she had and stayed in Nigeria, where she founded The Afriacan Childrens Aid Education and Development Foundation to save thousands of kids accused of witchcraft.
I grew up with a mom who all of her life worked at a nursing home, and she always told me that we need to help each other, to be useful in this life and to be compassionate, says Anja. The drive I have now is also the children. When everything seems impossible I just look at the children and I keep going.
For the last three years, the Danish woman and her humanitarian team have conducted various actions to save abandoned and abused children. She personally took a particular boy under her protection, and named him Hope. He is now in a good condition and befriends Anjas son.
Anja still has a lot of work to do. Her plan is to bring this issue to Nigerias government to resolve the problem and develop education. She is currently making a documentary to educate others about Nigerian supersition on witchcraft and the ill fated victims.
Source: Elite Readers
(brl/tis)
