Dar es Salaam South Region (TZ)
Untold has been operating in the Dar es Salaam South region since 2018. This region holds 7 centers, and these centers collectively serve over 500 HIV+ clients each year.
Current communities we work within in the Dar es Salaam South Region: Chanika, Mtoni, Nzasa, Yombo Vituka, Kibondemaji, Keko, Kiwalani
Amani has been the Dar es Salaam South Regional Coordinator since 2018 and leads a team of 18 full-time staff. Amani carries the Untold vision in this region for expansion, church partnership, and client impact. Each of the 7 centers in this region operates in partnership with a local church.
Client Profile: Habiba Makeketo
2022 Client in Dar es Salaam South
The weight of the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS was almost too much for 40-year-old Habiba Makeketo to bear. Keyword: almost.
Should you encounter the single mother of five today, you’ll notice the stark shift in mindset from how she regarded HIV/AIDS before Untold to now. There once was a time that Habiba couldn’t come to terms with her own diagnosis. “I ran away because I could not accept those results,” Habiba explained.
Despite testing positive at multiple hospitals and losing her fifth child to HIV/AIDS complications, Habiba refused medication. Her viral load was considered extremely high at 300,000 copies, meaning the disease was rapidly progressing. It came to a point where she was too weak to engage in any physical activity. Habiba’s depleting health was coupled with isolation, as her relatives turned a blind eye to her.
Her breakthrough came in the form of her sister, who began questioning Habiba’s frail appearance. With her sister’s push, she was encouraged to accept her diagnosis and seek help. After a brief hospital stay, that’s when Habiba was recruited at her local Untold center through the help of a Community Health Volunteer (CHV).
Untold’s one-on-one counseling was foundational to Habiba’s newfound adherence to her medication. Soon after joining, a tuberculosis diagnosis complicated her journey, yet her desire to better herself outweighed any medical challenges.
Although she couldn’t come to the center for some months because of tuberculosis complications, she was recruited again to complete her program in 2022. “I am grateful to Untold for the support I have received since the previous year and for standing with me throughout my medical journey,” she said.
Now, she’s well enough to sell vegetables and handmade liquid soap, a skill she learned through Untold. Her viral load has decreased significantly, reaching levels as low as 233 copies. “They have helped me have a life beyond AIDS,” she concluded. As Jeremiah 33:6 says, the Lord will bring health and cure, and will let us enjoy abundant peace and security.