Mhudini
Mhudini is a bus conductor and he kept working even though he was sick.
My name is Mhudini Malisa. I’m 20 years old and I live in Dar es Salaam with my uncle and his family. I work as a conductor on one of the many minibuses (daladalas) in the city. This is the main mode of transport around the city and my job is to make sure that our bus is full of passengers, and collect their payments. Typically, my job begins early in the morning and ends very late in the evening.
Last year, I began to feel light-headed, and had a cough and a high fever. I continued going to work but used to return home exhausted. Then, I went to my local clinic for a TB test, but the result was negative. Despite my poor health, I did not stop working because I needed the income to support my uncle and his wife financially. I work in a small van, with dozens of passengers getting on and off the vehicle at any given stop. My co-workers became very concerned about the possibility of infection and they advised me to stay at home until I felt better.
Fortunately, around that time, I received a call from a person at MKUTA. She informed me that my sputum sample had been sent to APOPO, and that rats had detected tuberculosis. I found it difficult to believe at first, but now I am know all about the TB detection rats that help people like me. Many people that I know have suffered from tuberculosis. Some friends and family members have even passed away because of tuberculosis, despite the fact that it can be cured with correct treatment.
Thanks to the HeroRATs, I have completely recovered and am back at work. I have told all my co-workers about these amazing rats, and now they know where to go for a reliable check-up if they start to get any of the symptoms I had.