The youngest member of our group -- and one of Jenna's new friends -- is a 10-year-old boy named Raphael. Raphael's shy demeanor masks his inner strength: He was orphaned at 3 and is HIV-positive. Raphael was near death when a friend of his father and a Mututa caregiver, Sylvester, found him. Sylvester made sure Raphael got on antiretroviral treatment, and today keeps up Raphael's regular supply. Raphael is now a regular visitor to Sylvester's home. They pray together and the little boy and the grandfatherly volunteer have become best friends. Raphael is first in his 6th-grade class and plans to attend the University of Zambia. Thanks to Mututa and Sylvester, this HIV patient, who no one expected to survive childhood, now expects a long life.
Songs of Welcome
After our meeting in the orchard, it's time for the ceremonies. They're opened by a troupe of Mututa patients and caregivers who dance and sing songs of welcome. Clapping and stepping in rhythm, the women rock back and forth. Some have babies snuggled close, secured to their mothers' swaying hips by colorful fabric wraps.