This year (2023), it has been 8 years since we rescued Destiny. He was accused of being a witch and abandoned by his mother and the entire community. When we found Destiny, he was very weak from severe abuse and neglect.

When we rescue a child, we report the case to the authorities. We work close with the police and The Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare. All cases are investigated and sometimes it leads to police arrests.

Destiny´s mother was arrested for abandonment of a child and went to jail. She spent a very long time serving in prison and when she was released, she reached out to us. It is easy to judge Destiny´s mother for abandoning her son, but judging others makes us blind if we do not see the whole picture.

The life of Nigerian women is affected by a myriad of discriminatory traditional and socio-cultural practices while the biggest institution in Nigeria is the church. Lack of education leads to limited knowledge about illnesses which when coupled with strong cultural beliefs, prompts people to search for superstitious answers. So, if we are to blame someone, it is the religious leaders who take advantage of their own people living in extreme poverty. And women remain at the bottom of the hierarchy.

Destiny and his mother have since her release from prison been talking on the phone for some years and in January 2023, she came to visit Destiny at Land of Hope. They had not seen each other for almost 8 years. Destiny was very excited and extremely happy to see his mother again. Anja sat with her while they watched Destiny play football. Anja could tell that she was proud of him, and Destiny was proud to show his mother his football skills.

Children are born with abilities to forgive, forget, and to move on while as adults we tend to hold on to anger and resentment.

The future for Destiny and his mother looks very bright.