Hello, I'm Ntombi. I'm a little girl like other little girls, except I have a crocodile in my body.

You can't see him, but I know he is there. His name is Horrible InVader. He hides in my body and doesn't do any harm to my friends.

He won't leave my body and go into yours if you sit next to me, or hold my hand.

He won't leave my body and jump into yours even if you share your lunch with me, or lie down on the floor together when we have a rest.

My crocodile, Horrible InVader, has been with me since I was born. He likes eating all the soldiers in my body that fight germs and stop me from getting sick.

When he eats too many of my soldiers, I get very sick. Then I cannot go to school and play with my friends.

I have to take my medicine every day at the same time. Otherwise my crocodile wakes up in a bad mood and eats my soldiers again.

I don't want him to do that, so I remind my Gogo to give me my special medicine right on time.

If I eat good food like vegetables and fruit, my soldiers in my body get stronger and don't let my crocodile catch them.

I think he goes to sleep for a while, because then I am well and strong and able to play with my friends again. I am so happy when he goes to sleep and I am able to play.

My Gogo took me to the clinic a while ago and got something special to feed my crocodile. It makes him go to sleep, and he doesn't eat my soldiers.

Then I am able to do all the fun things that other children do, like run and climb and dance.

I love my Gogo very much. She is good and kind to me. She gives me good food to eat and sees that I take extra vitamins as well to keep my soldiers strong, so that I don't get sick.

If I do get sick she takes me to the clinic straight away, so that I can get medicine to make me better. I love it when she puts me on her lap and reads stories to me before I go to bed.

After Gogo has put me to bed, I think of many things. I think about learning to read at big school. If I keep taking my special medicine that puts my crocodile to sleep, I will look after my Gogo and read her stories when she is very old and can't see so well anymore.

When I am a grown woman, I would like to study. I want to help to find a medicine that will put all the crocodiles in other peoples' bodies, to sleep forever.

I will learn to live with my crocodile and keep him asleep as much as I can.

I will have as many friends as I can. And have as much fun as I can every day.

My Gogo, my aunts and uncles, and friends love me, even though I have a crocodile called Horrible InVader living in my body.