BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — A Bonita Springs couple's mission to help children in Nigeria took on new meaning after learning about a 12-year-old student's kidnapping, narrowly escaping death.
WATCH: Fox 4's Eric Lovelace tells the story of the student narrowly escaping death:
David and Jane Sawtelle had traveled to Africa before on mission trips and knew education was difficult to access in many areas. Their connection to Nigeria begins when they opened their home to Daren Rapoport, who stayed with the couple for six weeks.
Daren was married to a Nigerian woman, named Destiny, so the Sawtelles helped Daren get a visa and flight back to the country to reunite with his wife.
They maintained contact for a couple years before Daren shared his desire to open up a school. He reached out to the couple to help raise money. They were able to raise $4,000 to help purchase the building. Not only did they raise the money, but they went to Nigeria to help build it in the fall of 2024.
The experience left a lasting impact on them. They said they were moved by people they met and the obvious needs they had, so they've since continued the fundraising effort.
Daren Rapoport, the school's director in Nigeria, learned devastating news about a student, who's name is Friday.
"They said did you hear about one of your students missing, and I said no, then they told me about Friday missing," Rapoport said.
The 12-year-old boy had been kidnapped by a regional tribe while walking to get water. According to Rapoport, several tribes in the region sacrifice children to their God by killing them.
Lovelace spoke to Friday who talked about his time with his captors. He said they brought him to an abandoned building before bringing him into an empty room. He said he listened as two grown men argued over his fate, deciding between cutting off his head, or chopping up his body to sell for ritual sacrifice.
After they couldn't decide, Friday said the two men left the room, locked him in, and continued to argue outside. Friday said he was weeping into his hands and began to pray.
"I prayed for God to help me, and take me out of where I'm at," Friday said. "I prayed in Jesus name."
Once he mustered the strength to look up, a lifeline showed itself.
"I was praying, then when I opened my eyes, I saw the window open," Friday said.
Friday said out of all the windows he could see, there was only one that was open, and it didn't have metal bars on the outside. Friday said he jumped out of the window, ran as fast as he could to the nearest motorcycle taxi, and begged the driver to take him back to his village.
The school is located in the Mawuko village, in the Ogun state of Nigeria, which is in the southern portion of the country. National news outlets have reported other instances of children being kidnapped from Catholic and Christian schools, as intense religious friction continues to create social instability.
However, Rapoport said he believes Friday's kidnapping wasn't because of his religion, but because of another societal issue. While he said religious persecution is happening, he said certain cults and other tribes have been kidnapping and ritually sacrificing children some time.
The boy escaped and made it back to his village alive. Rapoport and the Sawtelles said they couldn't believe the news.
Friday is now back at school, and the Sawtelles are asking their community to support the village and children like him.
"We see the impact it makes on the kids lives, they are exceptional people, and they're gonna be exceptional people, they're going to make a difference in their country," Jane said.
The Sawtelles are raising money to finish a partially built wall around the village. Additionally, they're hopeful they'll be able to pay a full-time security guard and purchase a van to transport the kids, so they'll never have to go through this again.
The couple continues to advocate for the school and the children who attend it, hoping others will join their mission to provide educational opportunities, and protection, for children in Nigeria.
