A mother and her son are locked in a desperate battle against schizophrenia in a district in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. The son, Sisa Petelo, has symptoms that include paranoia, aggression and even violence. Petelo is being cared for at the only facility in the area that shelters the mentally ill. In many isolated parts of South Africa it’s not recognized as a medical condition, and those with the illness are shunned.
Family Copes with Schizophrenia in South Africa

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Sisa’s companion at the home, Patekile Mofeti, lights a fire for a barbecue (VOA/ D. Taylor)

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Sisa watches the men barbecue at Ikhaya Loxolo (VOA/ D. Taylor)