ANJA RINGGREN LOVÉN
COMPASSION IN ACTION
Words: Kate Monahan
Anja Ringgren Lovén, the founder of the African Children’s
Aid Education & Development Foundation (ACAEDF)
has been working in Nigeria for three years to help fight
the battle of the superstition of witchcraft and the children
accused of it. Hope is one of the several children Anja has
rescued. When she received information of the less than
a year old boy abandoned and badly malnourished, she
did not hesitate to come to his aid. Hope is now in stable
condition due to Anja’s courageous rescue mission. He is
but one of the many children Anja has rescued and taken
under her wing in the past 3 years since beginning her
service work to save, aid, and educate the abandoned,
abused, and malnourished children in Nigeria accused
of witchcraft. Having multiple children in her care, Anja is
dedicated to saving lives and bringing awareness to the
world of this great problem that hangs over Nigeria like a
dark cloud.
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It’s hard to believe that in this modern day and age,
superstitions such as witchcraft and the abuse of those
accused still carries on, especially in children. Most think
it died out after the Salem Witch Trials in America and
those in Europe, but the issue remains strong in many third
world countries. We find ourselves wrapped up in current
events, such as celebrity gossip or what’s going on in our
own community and fail to see what kind of tragedies are
happening around the globe. Anja’s work and story illustrate
that while we all have our own issues at home, there are
still many around the world that desperately need help.
In an interview, Anja talks about her service work and aid in
helping the neglected and abused children of Nigeria. While
it may be disturbing to think of such brutality, the work she
has done and continues to do is heartwarming.