Beatrice’s Story
Beatrice Kahonzi, 54, discovered she was living with HIV in 2010 after her husband's declining health led them both to the hospital for testing. They received their results together, began counseling, and started antiretroviral therapy (ART) as a couple.
Just months later, in September 2010, Beatrice's husband passed away. He had struggled to accept his status and had turned to alcohol rather than staying consistent with his treatment. Determined to protect her family, Beatrice took all six of her children in for testing.
The years that followed were difficult. Beatrice's in-laws would not accept her, and she was forced to move back to her family's land. Even there, she faced stigma from her own siblings who avoided sharing utensils or other household items with her out of fear of infection.
In 2022, new hardship arrived. The pandemic had shut down many local industries, and Beatrice lost her work as a casual laborer. A regional drought made farming impossible. Without steady income or reliable nutrition, her health began to suffer with her body responding poorly to her ART medication.
A Turning Point
Since joining Untold, Beatrice's health has steadily improved, and she says she rarely falls ill now. The food support she receives at each center visit has strengthened her health and freed up money she once spent on food to cover other essential needs.
Through the center's vocational seminars, Beatrice discovered a passion for cake baking. She hopes to start her own baking business, potentially alongside her granddaughter, who shares the same interest. Beatrice is a member of Untold's Savings Group Ministry, which she expects will help fund the venture once the group is formally registered.
Beyond the practical support, Beatrice points to the one-on-one counseling and group therapy sessions as what helped her most: a safe space to accept her status and work through the stigma she'd carried for years. "Since joining the program, my family has also accepted me and treats me fairly like any other person," she says.
Today, Beatrice has become a source of encouragement for others in her community, teaching fellow clients about status acceptance, preventing transmission, disclosure, and managing stress and anger. Sessions with Untold's spiritual counselor have shaped her faith as well. "I have learned how to let God take charge of my life and how to live well with all men around me as Jesus did," she reflects.
Beatrice now encourages other women to stay consistent with their medication and to pursue reconciliation with family and friends. She has helped form community support groups of her own turning what she once carried alone into something she now shares with others.
"I am grateful to the Untold team for all their support in the program. I have now become a voice of change in my community. May God bless you all," Beatrice says.