November 28, 2009
Featured Blog: "Children Witches of Nigeria"
The following is an excerpt from a blog post by Tassana Burrfoot on Ning. To read the full post, click here.
“Imagine if your mother and father really believed that your magical actions brought about cancer or divorce. Imagine if your entire village believed you were a witch. A ~real~ witch. And they attacked you for it. Such is the lives of many children in Nigeria. And I’m not talking about a spanking on the behind or time out. Because, let’s face it, these kids in Nigeria have it much worse.
A man by the name of Sam Ikpe-Itauma has, with the help of his wife Elizabeth, fostered more than 133 children deemed witches by their community. Together, this dynamic duo has managed to not only foster, but reeducate these children and keep them safe from family and neighbours who would see these children dead. Because of these children, Ikpe-Itauma has founded a charity called Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN). This charity provides medical attention, housing, food, and education to these children who have done nothing more than be children.
If you would like to read more about CRARN and what they are doing to help these children, please visit http://crarn.tripod.com/. To read more stories, including the one about Mary, visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/dec/09/tracymcveigh.theobserver and http://crarn.tripod.com/id4.html.”
