A man who was sentenced to death by his native cannibal tribe as a six-year-old has graduated from university nearly two decades after his remarkable rescue.
From Death Sentence to Degree
Wawa Chombonggai recently celebrated earning a degree from the State University of Medan in Northern Sumatra, completing an extraordinary journey that began when his Korowai tribe in West Papua marked him for execution.
The tribe had accused the young boy of being a male witch, blaming his supposed sorcery for the death of his parents. Their verdict was chilling: he would be killed and eaten.
Chombonggai took to social media last week to express his gratitude, writing: 'Thank you to my parents, father and mother, who always supported me in everything starting from my early childhood until now.'
Television Intervention and Rescue
The boy's fate changed dramatically in 2006 when Nine's 60 Minutes program featured his story, capturing the attention of millions of Australians. During filming, Nine Radio's 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham encountered the condemned child.
Fordham described the meeting as 'the most chilling moment' of the expedition. His guide, Paul Raffaele, warned that Chombonggai would be lucky to reach his 16th birthday, stating: 'They've got their eye on him and, that kid, any time in the next 10 years... they could get him, then they'd kill him, then they'd eat him.'
The broadcast sparked a fierce rivalry between television networks, with Seven's since-cancelled Today Tonight program attempting a televised rescue mission. However, host Naomi Robson and her crew were deported from Indonesia for not having appropriate visas.
Behind-the-Scenes Salvation
While the networks battled for ratings, Nine's local fixer Kornelus Sembirang quietly returned to Chombonggai's village and rescued the boy, eventually raising him as his own son.
Chombonggai now lives in North Sumatra, where he recently graduated with a sports science degree. His early education was funded by Channel Seven, though he remains wary of media engagements after his childhood experiences.
'I'm very closed now,' he told Daily Mail Australia last year. 'I'm afraid of being tricked again or used as material for their media.'
Fordham expressed his delight at seeing how far Chombonggai has come, reflecting: 'The poor kid had no idea he was at the centre of a stupid TV tug of war in Australia.'
While it's disputed whether the Korowai tribe still practises cannibalism today, Chombonggai's graduation stands as a powerful testament to survival against overwhelming odds.
