Idrussi, also known as Dudu

Dudu came to live with us when he was just a few months old. He was brought to us by a pastor from a Partners in Harvest church from a area called Camp 2000. Camp 2000 were founded after the 2000 floods in Mozambique, when thousands of people lost their homes. His mother and father died of AIDS so the community brought him to the church, because his grandmother could not take care of him. He came to us very ill with an ear infection and he was HIV positive. The skin on his legs were gone and it was clear that no one ever changed the cloth that was used as a diaper. He was also very malnourished from not receiving any milk formula.

Josef (adopted), Quiteria, Dudu and Marcelino

We always knew that Dudu's grandmother was still living in Camp 2000. So we sent a visiting team to take Dudu to go and visit his grandmother. They got to camp 2000 telling his story and eventually they found his grandmother. His grandmother were in tears, because she did not expect him to be alive anymore. Word spread that Dudu has returned and soon there were many people wanting to see him and hold him. She shared that when he left that she thought he was not going to make it, so for almost two years she believed he was dead.

Dudu is a very special child and everyone that visits our house love him. He loves singing and you will always find him singing a song. He is also one of my little heroes as he lives with AIDS and every day he takes his medicine without a complaint.

Dudu in his school uniform

Every month he goes for a blood test and a Doctors visit. It must be hard to from a very young age to live with AIDS. In 2010 there were 3.4 million children living with AIDS in the world. In Mozambique, people that live with AIDS are often discriminated against, sometimes families will abandoned children and adults. Many people will not test themselves fearing a positive result and the discrimination that comes with a positive result.

We are so grateful for Dudu and that he is part of our lives, he has touched the lives of so many people.