Richard

I met Richard last week. He’s 13, the second of five children. Both of his parents have HIV. Richard was born with it. His other siblings have not been tested.

Richard had tuberculosis a few months ago. Some aid workers discovered it and put him on tuberculosis drugs. He coughs as though he still has it.

Richard has spent most of his life on a farm compound. His father worked on the farm and the family lived with 11 other families in a small community. They had shelter, water, and food.

The farm Richard lived on was raided and its owner was chased off. The farm’s game reserve was burned to the ground and the animals escaped, leading to this bizarre sight:
Two giraffes have already died. This guy does not look well. Also roaming this field were zebra, wildebeest, and springbok.

Both of Richard's parents have tuberculosis now. Neither can work. Meeting this family affected me more than anything else I have seen on my trip.