Zama

This week I found out news that broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes. The last few weeks I have been visiting a little boy named Zama at the hospital. He is seven years old and lives with his aunt because both his parents are dead. This little boy is filled with joy and love for others and you would never know his living conditions by the way he acts or treats others.  At first, I told he was there for TB so I thought maybe the bruises  on his body were just a side affect of the disease or medicine. I later found that not to be true.  Though he does suffer from TB, he also has AIDS and the bruises are from being beat by his aunt.  Now, his aunt did not openly admit to beating him so how I found out was when she threatened to beat him with her belt because he was not copying his name correctly on the paper. This little boy was now sitting in his bed struggling to breathe, which makes his breathing even worse, all because he would not write his name. Luckily a mom of another child talks her out of it. At that time I was so angry I had to leave the room because I was afraid of what I might say.  In America, when children are sick in the hospital, they are pampered and taken care of and no one cares if they want to write their name or not, but for Zama not writing his name meant he was going to get the belt. On top of witnessing this, Zama’s doctor later came in and ask to speak to the aunt. I later found out the reason was because she had not been giving him his medicine.  Every Tuesday and Thursday use to be a struggle because I didn’t have someone I look forward to visiting but not any more. I practically run to go see him and I stay with him the whole two hours. During that time we do crafts, dance, play with balloons, or if he is sleeping I just rub his back.  I pray for Zama everyday and ask you to do the same. To pray that his body will heal from the disease, his aunt will no longer beat him but instead love and see him as God does and for his future.