Freedom in Fellowship: Annacietta’s Story
As one of 15 children, Annacietta didn’t face too much loneliness in her life. She was accustomed to being surrounded by love - from her many siblings growing up to becoming a wife and mother of three at a young age.
This changed just a few years ago, when Annacietta’s marriage began to fall apart. The burdens once carried as a family began to weigh heavily on her alone. She decided to move with her children to Nairobi, where she found herself working as hired help in a private residence to get by. While working in the home, she was sexually assaulted by one of her male colleagues. The shame around what had happened to her caused Annacietta to withdraw; how could she tell anyone about her experience? She kept the trauma a secret, continuing to work in the home to provide for her children. Eventually, Annacietta began to experience persistent headaches. After many inconclusive hospital visits, she collapsed at work and was rushed to another hospital, where she was diagnosed with diabetes. It was during the treatment of her diabetes that she would find out she was HIV positive.
Annacietta’s world felt as if it was crumbling around her. It was as if every aspect of her life - her marriage, her work, her health - were fighting against her, and she had no one to open up to. She began to fall into a state of depression, which left her vulnerable to ulcers and increased health risks. Her internalized stigma made her believe this shame was hers to carry alone.
Nevertheless, Annacietta knew deep down there was better in store for her. She had spent her entire adult life as a Christian, and she clung to the hope she knew she had in Jesus. When Annacietta found out about Untold, she saw a glimmer of that hope again.
Upon her enrollment in the program in May 2024, Annacietta has found strength through her fellow clients and Untold staff. It brought healing to Annacietta, who had grown up around so much love, but had been going without.
“The counseling and home visits provided me with comfort, and, above all, it gave me the hope to move forward.”
Being around other clients and sharing experiences made Annacietta realize she was not alone. The internalized stigma she had been holding on to was a lie - there was life and love beyond her diagnosis. Annacietta’s time in the program brought love and fellowship back into her life. It illuminated the darkest parts of her story, where she felt no one would be willing to join her in her pain. The joy she experiences interacting with other clients has trickled into other parts of her life, leading to peace and joy for her family at home, too. “Interactions with other people in a similar state as mine have made me realize I am not alone,” says Annacietta. “I do not need to suffer in silence.”