Nhlanhla's fate is not unusual in the townships around Mandeni. Nhlanhla is a young man of 28 years with no vocational training and, like so many others, lived from casual labour.
His family is a little better off. They managed to own a small house. However, there is no money for education or health insurance either.
A few months ago, Nhlanhla went out with some friends. On the way home, it was pitch dark on the unlit roads, it happened. A car driver overlooked him. Nhlanhla barely survived the accident and has been paralysed from the neck down ever since.
In South Africa, there is no rehabilitation system for patients like Nhlanhla. Hospitals send patients home as soon as possible and families have to see how they can deal with their son or daughter who suddenly needs constant care.
We were called by Nhlanhla's family to show them how to handle such a patient, how to position him so that he does not get sores in bed, how to wash him, almost everything needed for proper care.
The family can handle him well now, but we still take care of them regularly to avoid any difficulties or complications.