Anja Ringgren Lovén

Founder of the NGO Land of Hope

Anja Ringgren Lovén

Born|  (1978-09-04) September 4, 1978 (age 46)

Frederikshavn, Denmark

Occupation| Charity worker
Known for| Founding DINNødhjælp
Fighting witchcraft accusations in Nigeria
Spouse| David Emmanuel Umem Jr.[1]

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] Lovén gained global recognition in 2016 when a photo of her rescuing a severely malnourished boy, later named "Hope," went viral, shedding light on her efforts to combat child abuse linked to witchcraft accusations.[3]

## Career

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Lovén graduated from Frederikshavn Gymnasium in 1998. Following high school, she traveled to the Middle East, including a stay in Israel at a kibbutz. In 2001, she trained as a stewardess with Maersk Air but left the position to care for her terminally ill mother, who died shortly thereafter. Subsequently, Lovén pursued a career in retail, eventually working as a store manager in Aarhus.

Her journey into humanitarian work began in 2009 with a three-month stint in Malawi as an observer for the Danish National Church Aid. Inspired by her experience, she initiated a fundraising project to renovate a school in Tanzania, where she traveled independently. In 2012, Lovén founded DINNødhjælp, initially while working as a salesperson in Aarhus.[4] A year later, she sold all her possessions and dedicated herself fully to aiding so-called "witch children" in Nigeria.

In collaboration with Nigerian law student David Emmanuel Umem, Lovén co-founded the African Children's Aid, Education and Development Foundation (ACAEDF) in 2014 to establish infrastructure for vulnerable children.[5] Together, they acquired land in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, and, with the support of Engineers Without Borders, built the Land of Hope Children's Center. The center spans three acres and includes a children’s hospital, a business school, and facilities to house up to 100 children, offering a safe and nurturing environment while addressing superstition through education and advocacy.[6][7]

Since 2014, Lovén has delivered lectures about her humanitarian efforts, emphasizing the personal sacrifices she made and the significance of her work at the Land of Hope Children’s Center. Her lectures focus on raising awareness about superstitions in Nigeria and inspiring others to pursue meaningful change.[8] She is one of Denmark's most in-demand public speakers.[9]

## Personal life

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Lovén was born and raised in Frederikshavn, Denmark. Her partner, David Emmanuel Umem, is her co-founder in humanitarian work. The couple has one child, David Jr., born on August 13, 2014.[10]

## Documentaries

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Lovén's work has been featured in various documentaries, including:

* Helvedes Helte (DR2)[11]
* En dansker redder verden – Anja Ringgren Lovén (DR)[12]
* Anja og Heksebørnene (DR2)[13]
* Anjas Afrika (DR)[14]
* Hexenkinder in Nigeria: Diese Heldin rettet ihnen das Leben (2018, Germany)[15]

In 2018, her meeting with the Dalai Lama was documented in Anja's Orphanage (DR2), highlighting his recognition of her efforts.[13][16]

## Awards and recognition

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* 2016: Named "The World's Most Inspiring Person" by OOOM Magazine.[17][18]
* 2016: Awarded the Niels Ebbesen Medal.[19]
* 2017: Paul Harris Fellowship recipient.[20]
* 2017: Recipient of the Hope Award.[21]
* Recognized by the Dalai Lama for her humanitarian contributions.

Additionally, Lovén has been nominated for Dane of the Year 2017[22] and the Nordjyske Initiative Award 2015.[23]

## References

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1. ^ https://landofhope.global/en/anja/
2. ^ Busari, Stephanie. "Woman who rescues 'witch children' receives top honour". CNN.
3. ^ "Care worker who rescued starving 'witch child' recreates photo for his first day of school". The Independent. February 3, 2017. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07.
4. ^ "Anja hjælper børn i Afrika". TV2 Nord. November 20, 2015.
5. ^ "The aid worker who saved a 'witch child' from starvation speaks out". The Independent. February 18, 2016. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07.
6. ^ "Hun reddede lille Hope: Nyt børnehjem vil hjælpe flere børn som ham - TV 2". nyheder.tv2.dk. August 10, 2016.
7. ^ "Læs nyhederne på bt.dk". B.T. Nyheder (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-04-17.
8. ^ brev, Ulla Poulsen Journalist Indtast din e-mail adresse Ved opskrivning accepterer jeg at modtage særtilbud fra Kristeligt Dagblad på; E-Mail, Telefon Eller (December 12, 2008). "Nigeria optrævler sag om dræbte heksebørn". Kristeligt Dagblad.
9. ^ "Anja Ringgren Lovén - Afrikas heksebørn | Foredrag i København V | Køb billet på Tikko.dk". April 20, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-04-20.
10. ^ "Anja Ringgren Lovén, who is she?". Archived from the original on 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
11. ^ "Helvedes Helte på DR2 Anja Lovén i Nigeria". YouTube. 2016-07-27. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
12. ^ "En dansker redder verden". DR. 10 April 2015.
13. ^ a b "Anja og heksebørnene (1:3) | TV | DR". April 20, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-04-20.
14. ^ "VIDEO Danske Anja redder heksebørn: Nu har jeg råbt verden op". DR. 16 February 2016.
15. ^ "Galileo - Montag: Hexenkinder in Nigeria: Diese Heldin rettet ihnen das Leben". March 8, 2018 - via www.prosieben.de.
16. ^ "Dalai Lama til Anja Lovén: Du er min helt". TV2 Nord. September 7, 2017.
17. ^ "Danske Anja kåret til verdens mest inspirerende person: Slår Obama og Paven - TV 2". nyheder.tv2.dk. December 6, 2016.
18. ^ "Nigerian 'witch boy' attends school after being rescued". ABC News. February 4, 2017.
19. ^ Dittmer, Dorthea (May 23, 2016). "Medalje til heksebørnenes". amtsavisen.dk.
20. ^ "Klubbens Paul Harris Fellower | Rotary". www.rotary.dk.
21. ^ "Hope Gala Dresden" (PDF). www.hopegala.de. 2017. Retrieved 2020-04-17.[permanent dead link‍]
22. ^ Holm, Line Tolstrup (May 15, 2016). ""Jeg kan ikke redde hele verden. Men jeg kan redde et barn ad gangen"". Berlingske.dk.
23. ^ Würtz, Julian Drud Sørensen, Trine Mølgaard Jensen;Sarah (March 12, 2015). "Heksebørnenes nordjyske mor". www.nordjyske.dk.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

## External links

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* Official Site Archived 2020-04-26 at the Wayback Machine