CLAUDI
I am Claudi. I am 6 years old and I live in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I became very sick so my Grandmother took me to clinic.
The doctor examined me and he suspected tuberculosis (TB).
At the clinic we also met Lulu. She gives people advice about TB.
Lulu is a volunteer from APOPO’s partner organisation MKUTA. She had TB herself once.
She bravely helped me give my sputum sample where I had to cough a lot.
The clinic tried to detect what was wrong with me, but they couldn’t find anything.
I went home to my family…
…and to help my grandfather with his pigeons.
But after a while I felt worse. Then my little sister also got sick.
I was afraid my friends at school would get sick too.
“Claudi coughed a lot and became too weak to come to school” – Suzanna John
Then one day, the clinic called me in and told me I had tuberculosis.
My sputum sample had also been sent to APOPO
Where it was tested by rats who examine 100 sputum samples in 20 minutes and sniff for TB
When they smell TB, they stop and hold their noses over it for 3 seconds
The APOPO lab re-checks the sample, and tells the clinic if TB is confirmed
APOPO found my TB and the local clinic found my sister’s – she was lucky
Lulu then came to my house with our treatment and explained how to take it
I felt much better straight away and started going to school again
Lulu even came to teach everyone about the dangers of TB
And I was proud because I too could explain it to my friends.
Now I am much better and I can play football again with my brother
And I was happy that I could go back to school and continue learning.
Thank you APOPO and the HeroRATs!