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Rod Kaba is a Congolese teenager, whose parents were both killed ten years ago. His life has just been made into a documentary film which is to be shown at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Rod lived on the streets in Brazzaville for two years before slipping into a coma, because of a combination of a rare strain of sickle cell anaemia, diabetes and an infected knee. This is the main university hospital where he was treated.

For Outlook, Rod accompanied reporter John James on a visit to see some of his old friends again, some of whom sniff glue. "We are very glad to see Rod again... We could say lots of good things about him, he’s a good guy."

"We are street kids and life is not easy for us. We ask for money but sometimes, you know, people don’t give us any. The place where we live means that we are sleeping in bad conditions and sometimes witches or sorcerers are tempting us, trying to kill us by magical ways. It’s not easy for us here."

Rod said, "It really hurts my heart to see these friends – because I know that life in the street is very difficult and very bad, so I’m really sad to see them still here living in the street."

Rod spent a year at the House of Brothers Refuge in Brazzaville.

"What makes life in the centre more comfortable is that here we are trained," said Rod, "We eat three times a day and so when a child comes here from the street, when he arrives here, he feels secure. Here is it really like a family – we share problems, so someone else’s problem is also your problem, so it feels like a big family."

Rod now lives in his own house away from the refuge and has had documentary made about him. "I am very pleased about it, because people will begin to learn about the lives of street children, and see how big a problem it is in Africa. I’m just sorry that I will not be able to go myself to Cannes and see the showing of the movie at the festival." (Photo gallery: John James)