To run in a place is to know the land intimately; its paths, the twists and turns, the bends. There is no better way for me to connect physically with a place than to run in it, to be consumed by its beauty, and to be overwhelmed by the landscape.  All of this happened this morning while Jessica and I went for the most incredible morning run I’ve had thus far here (although she might not agree). The loudest noise around me was the sound of my own footsteps kicking up dirt and tumbling through the uneven ground, the only worry was the slightly troubling footprints that looked like lion paws. Twenty minutes out and ready to head back, we stopped overwhelmed by the beauty, the peace, the ear-deafening quiet. Life seems slow here, and as we flew back running ever faster (sorry Jess…I definitely thought I was following your lead) everything seemed to slow down.

After running, breakfast, and our global health lesson, we headed over to the Mkoko’s and talked to them about their lives. We saw all of their animals, Brittany chased a couple of chickens, Jessica and Adriana held some baby chicks, and we all found out about Jared’s fear of cats. We talked to Mr. Mkoko about MDR TB, HIV and his struggle through these deadly diseases. Mr. Mkoko worked in the gold mines for fourteen years, where he most likely acquired MDR TB. In the mines, he said, he would suffer from extreme heat such that he would have to work in his underwear. He would breathe in the gold dust that would later endanger his lungs, mixed with the stench of hundreds of men sweating away. I can’t possibly imagine what this must have been like for him; how does spending years in darkness affect you, and what must life in the light feel like now for him. It also seems almost ironic that for him to escape the dark and overbearing heat of the mines, he had to face some of the most devastating and deadly diseases. As he talked about his experience, I couldn’t help but be inspired by how positive he was. His smile is infectious and serves as a beautiful reminder that despite the hardships and suffering, you can and should always keep fighting for life.

What I find even more amazing about Mr. Mkoko’s story is his current involvement with HIV and TB in Swaziland. Despite the risk of reacquiring it, he now counsels at a TB clinic and is adamant about informing people about how to properly recognize and take care of it. This in my mind is true courage. Information is power; once people understand a disease, they can gain ownership over it. Mrs. Mkoko in particular made this very clear when she said that while she wasn’t afraid of HIV too much, she was very scared about TB, because she didn’t know what to do to prevent it.

On a more positive note, Mrs. Mkoko gave us an amazing lunch of chicken, pop, and salad. You could taste the love and care that had gone into it. The Mkokos are some of the most inspiring people I’ve met so far in my life, and I cannot wait for the massive wedding celebrations that are about to come.