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Anja Ringgren Lovén (born 4 September 1978) is a Danish humanitarian and founder of the charity organization DINNødhjælp. Since 2012, the organization has been dedicated to protecting and rescuing children in Nigeria accused of witchcraft—a practice stemming from deep-rooted superstition that often leads to ostracism, abuse, or death. [2]
It also covers spirits as well as deities found within the African religions—which is mostly derived from traditional African religions. Additionally, prominent mythic figures including heroes and legendary creatures may also be included in this list.
Ọya lived on Earth as a human from the town of Ira, in present day Kwara state, Nigeria, where she was a wife of the Alaafin of Oyo, Shango.In Yorùbá, the name Ọya is believed to derive from the phrase coined from "ọ ya" which means "she tore," referring to her association with powerful winds.
In Nigeria several Pentecostal pastors have mixed their evangelical brand of Christianity with African beliefs in witchcraft to benefit from the lucrative witch-finding and exorcism business—which in the past was the exclusive domain of the so-called witch doctor or traditional healers.
The word magic might simply be understood as denoting management of forces, which, as an activity, is not weighted morally and is accordingly a neutral activity from the start of a magical practice, but by the will of the magician, is thought to become and to have an outcome which represents either good or bad (evil).
A documentary aired on Channel 4 and the BBC, Saving Africa's Witch Children, shows the work of Gary Foxcroft and Stepping Stones Nigeria in addressing these abuses. The Danish humanitarian Anja Ringgren Lovén founded a charity to rescue abandoned and tortured children, and to give them the opportunity to go to school. [27]
Saving Africa's Witch Children [1] is a documentary directed by Mags Gavan and Joost van der Valk. It features Gary Foxcroft and his organisation Stepping Stones Nigeria who campaign against the branding of children as witches in Nigeria, primarily by the evangelical "Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries", headed by Helen Ukpabio.
In the critically acclaimed novel by Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (1958), the character Ezinma was considered an ọgbanje because she was the first of 10 children born to her mother that did not die in infancy. [8] [10] In the novel Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi (2018), the main character, Ada, is an ọgbanje [11]