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Earlier today you accompanied the first part of a series
that will show the work of the humanitarian group "Way to the Nations" in an orphanage in Nigeria.
We saw their arrival and what they are doing to change the lives of the children who live there.
Here in the "Tribuna News", we're going to show their work to stop the prejudice against the so called "witch-children",
the damage this stigma causes, as many times the child can be tortured, abandoned and even murdered.
But thanks to the work of the "Way to the Nations" many children are being saved!
Tatyana Jorge reports.
Anyone who looks into those sweet big eyes is not able to imagine the horrible scenes they witnessed closely.
This little girl now bearing a loose smile was not long ago very hurt and barely could stand up
This is Victoria, a victorious girl simply because she's alive!
She lives in the orphanage now maintained by the humanitarian group "Way to the Nations",
in the city of Eket, south of Nigeria.
and she arrived in here after being tortured by her own mother.
Witch-children. To many Nigerians, they exist and worse they bring problems to their families, like misery or disease,
and to "identify" a witch-child, it's only enough the kid to be disobedient, for example,
they are kept separated from school, community, neighbours, their own families abandon them, they are tortured and even murdered.
Panels on the streets tell us of how much horrors can be inflicted on a child.
Esther has scars on her body and soul. Labeled as a witch, she's even been ***
All the pain she's been through, caused her to have this distant, sad gaze.
Despite of that, sometimes she manages to pop up a smile.
Being a witch-child means to be condemned, it's a death sentence here in Nigeria,
it has become a religious matter.
Uduah belongs to the community and has been working for the Way to the Nations for 3 years.
She reports that many times the idea of a child being a witch comes from the church.
Some preachers offer exorcism for money. As many families do not have money for the exorcism, they end up expelling their own child from home,
or worse, the child can be tortured or murdered.
I asked her how she feels when she saves those children,
and the reply comes with a smile:
Mr. Medecom is a community elder. Life expectancy in Nigeria is 47 yo,
so any person with grey hair is highly respected in the community.
He is an ally and says it is necessary to change this mentality
and diminish the suffering of those children.
Because of TV denouncements, the volunteers learnt about what was happening in Nigeria.
We came because the English and American news were revealing to the western world this phenomenon known as witch-children,
they are accused inside temples where their parents put a lot of trust in the priests.
How to help from the other side of the ocean? They did not know, yet.
But distance was the least of the problems they would face.
When the eyes of the world turned to this sad situation, the government decided to interfere.
In 2008, a new law was created and anyone caught calling a child a "witch"
can be imprisoned, for almost 10 years. It's not a bailable offence.
There's a lack of supervision here, the police in reality works with our calls.
In Nigeria, the new law did not prevent people to keep believing in such mysticism.
Victoria was sent to the orphanage that until 5 months ago was administrated by this man.
Michael, Nigerian, can testify that the former director used to believe that the other kids were sick because Victoria was a witch.
And a shocking event: he threatened the little girl with a machete until she eventually confessed in tears, she was a witch.
When the workers of the humanitarian group arrived, she was malnourished, with the highest degree of malaria.
It was a very close call, she almost died. She was not receiving proper care.
She was then taken to see a doctor. Those images were made one year ago.
They learnt that without blood transfusion, Victoria would not be healed.
To get to a hospital, Victoria was taken to another city, more developed, but even there the situation was not good:
the volunteers were working in the dark.
Three days later, still at the hospital, Victoria was already being able to eat, she was overcoming.
Today Victoria lives with other 57 children in the orphanage, and based on her affectionate behaviour,
it seems clear she trusts and loves her carers.
Looking at this angelical face, can you believe anybody is able to think she is cursed?
Those volunteers fight against this mentality, but this fight is only beginning.
People in Santos (Brazil) are considered generous people, so I feel proud of being here together
with other people from Santos that are giving their best to this cause,
and we are expectant that when we come back, we'll have the support of our Santos' fellows.
We've been the first to get here, there's no other Brazilians here, the English have left,
so I believe people of Santos are representing Brazil in here.
In the third part of this series, tomorrow, in the Sao Paulo News, the diseases that most kill children in Nigeria,
We'll keep showing what those volunteers from our region are doing to transform the lives of those children.