Mamadou Tahirou is 18 but he looks more like a 12-year-old, his frame frail from the ravages of sickle cell disease.
Symptoms including bone pain, severe anaemia, extreme fatigue, and intense headaches frequently land him in the hospital, putting immense pressure on both him and his family.
"It hurts a lot, and you suffer so much. And when you don't have enough resources to protect yourself from the illness, you suffer even more. My parents are exhausted, I know that," he said.
Fits of pain sometimes flare up while he is in class, disrupting his education and forcing him to miss school regularly.
Speaking with tears in her eyes, his mother, Rabiatou Diallo, said her son is very tired and is often in hospital.
