Tabia Omari
Tabia initially breathed a sigh of relief upon news of her HIV diagnosis in 2002. After years of battling chronic pain, “my relief was that I now knew what made my body ache so much,” she said.
Prior to her diagnosis, Tabia spent a decade of her life experiencing marital bliss, but an unknown illness cut her marriage short when her husband passed away when she was 28 years old.
The mother of one came to the hospital in hopes of finding out the cause of her pain and if it was the same illness that took her husband.
Although Tabia adhered to her medication, her condition worsened. In addition to her pain, she began losing weight and her tongue turned black.
It was then that feelings of shame encroached upon her. “Stigma took a huge toll on me and I always felt like everyone knew my status and were talking about it behind my back,” she recalled.
Consequently, Tabia isolated herself and avoided going out as much as she could. After years of solitude, she found the courage to face doctors who changed her medication and turned her health around.
After two decades of living with HIV, a nurse at her local hospital referred her to the Untold program. What drew Tabia to the program were the empowerment seminars where she aspired to become self-sufficient.
Tabia’s dedication to the program in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, allotted her new skills like batik, Vaseline, and bleach making. She’s also set a goal of mastering carpet making.
“These skills have made me believe in myself even more. I would like to start a big business from the skills I have learned. Having a job provides a sense of security for me,” she said with joy.
Tabia credits overcoming stigma to the center counselors and group therapy sessions, where she received a mountain of support from fellow clients.
Tabia represents one of the nearly 3,000 Muslim clients that Untold has served since its inception, as Jesus calls us to be a servant to all people.
Tabia considers the Bible she received through the program as one of her most prized possessions.
“Even though I am Muslim, I enjoy reading my Bible. It is a joy to learn things that I would never have known of otherwise,” she shared.