Jabulani, which means "to be happy", is 55 years old and has been in our hospice since April 2019. He grew up with his siblings, a brother and two sisters in Lambothi near Mandeni. He finished Grade 5 at school but then had to look for work because his parents ran out of money. He found a job with a carpenter and did that for most of his life. He loved working with wood. He got married when he was twenty years old and now he has a family with five children aged 35 to 17. Since he got sick, he receives a small pension from the government and this pension is the only money his family has. All his children are unemployed. The boys find work for one or two days, then they have to wait again until someone calls and needs them. His two daughters have babies. When he was diagnosed with TB and other diseases, he did not know where to go for help. He could no longer walk and lost the ability to bend his fingers. The day he was taken into our care, he could not hold a spoon. He told me that he often saw the Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard ambulance and asked if any of his neighbours could tell him what kind of organisation it was. A friend told him that these people help for free and that they are very nice. His wife called the Care Centre and they really came to take care of him. They suggested that he should be admitted to the hospice, they could help him better there. And now he is happy to be here. His hands are much better and he can hold a spoon again.
Once a week a physiotherapist comes and shows him how to exercise his fingers. He has also gained some strength and feels much better now.