Recently, prominent charitable personality Anja Ringgren Lovén shared the story of another rescue girl from her NGO, Land of Hope. The girl, Rita, went from being tortured and accused of being a witch to speaking at a leadership summit, standing up for herself, and using her voice!
Anja Ringgren Lovén and David Emmanuel Umem rescued the girl 9 years ago in a local village. The community accused her of being a witch. The girl was chained up for three days and almost starved to death. Anja shared that Rita was only nine when we came to her village. The child was beaten and hungry, Rita was not quiet like we typically see when a child has undergone abuse.
Rita talked constantly when we took her in the car and drove her to the NGO, dedicated to protecting children, Land of Hope. Despite the traumatic events that she went through after being accused of being a witch, chained up and beaten, the girl had the mental strength to talk about her experiences. Anja shared that one must not think Rita was not affected because she was. She told the two founders that she believed she was a witch, indicating that she was indoctrinated and brainwashed.
However, the Land of hope founder observed that the girl was born with resilience and a strong will to overcome challenges. Rita has a twin brother and four other siblings. She took care of all her siblings and the household. Accordingly, the girl had a lot of responsibilities growing up even in light of her comparatively young age.
Anja expressed that Words cannot describe how proud she was of the young woman Rita has become today. She confessed that the 18 year old is an inspiration to all the children and the staff at Land of Hope. The woman expressed that she will start university later this year and study medicine. Rita’s biggest dream is to become a doctor. Anja shared that she is a very intelligent and most brilliant student in her class. She will write the great exam and get enough scores to study medicine.
