New Delhi: Two images are viral on internet again claiming it is a ‘before and after image’ of a child rescued from Nigeria. The claim is circulating since 2020 around the social media websites
An online newspaper in Albania “Kultplus” posted an article on June 26 2020 where it mentioned a Danish tourist found this child in Nigeria in 2016 and adopted him.
(web archive of the article)
Fact Check/Verification
We searched both the images on Google Reverse Image Search and found out that the woman in the pictures is ANJA RINGGREN LOVEN from Denmark who in 2012 founded “DINNødhjælp” to help and fight for the rights of children accused of “witchcraft”, the organisation provides shelter for the victims and raise awareness of the problem among the local communities; provide the children with shelter, food, health care and access to education.
In 2014, she and her husband David Emmanuel Umem founded an orphanage in Nigeria ACAEDF (African Children’s Aid, Education and Development Foundation) aka “LAND OF HOPE” that help impoverished and neglected “witch children”.
On 30 January 2016 she rescued and saved this kid (in image1) accused of “witchcraft” and abandoned by his family near Uyo, Southern Nigeria and that is when the image1 where she is seen giving water to this malnourished and severely emaciated toddler went viral. The ACAEDF took the kid in and she named him “HOPE”.
This article by Times Now News shares the pictures of Hope as of 2020 via Anja’s Instagram page. This is how he looked in 2020 aged 6 or 7 years old:
In image2, we can see the logo of World Summit 2020. So we thoroughly checked Instagram page of “LandOfHope” for the year 2020 and found this post dated 5 February 2020.
The long caption of the post mentions the “Universal Peace Federation World Summit 2020” and also “David Jr. continues his popularity. Everyone wants to take a picture with him. He is more popular than the World leaders here at the Summit.”
David Jr. is the son of Anja and her husband David Umem.
Anja’s Instagram is filled with pictures of David Jr. and in every post she uses the hashtag DavidJr (#davidjr). In this post, dated 30 December 2019 she mentions “#davidjr; #myson).
In this post, dated 10 May 2020, she again shares a picture and mentions her son David Jr.
In this post, dated 3 September 2020, she mentions and shares a picture of Hope- the toddler rescued by her in 2016.
Therefore:
- It is David Jr. (Anja’s son) in image2
- It is Hope (the rescued child) in image1
- The complexion of both the kids also differs
(Hope- the rescued Nigerian kid as of 2020)
Conclusion
Thus, the claim that the two images are ‘before and after’ pictures of recued toddler from Nigeria is completely FALSE.
| Claimed By | Social Media Users |
| Claimed Reviewed By | The Searchlight |
| Claim Source | Twitter, Facebook |
| Claim Fact Check | False |
