Ishmael's Story

Kangemi Center, Nairobi, Kenya

Ishmael Ombete Omokaya, 65, was born in Ebusembe, a small village in Vihiga County at the heart of Luhya land. The second of nine children,  five of whom are still living, Ishmael grew up with both parents and started school at age six. He recalls needing six years to complete nursery school because of his small stature at the time, though his studies came easily to him from there. He completed his O-levels in 1981. In 1982, with his parents gone and few opportunities left in the village, Ishmael moved to Nairobi to find work. He arrived in a tense moment for the country, following an attempted coup that year. 

"I was so scared for my life that I regretted leaving upcountry," he recalls. He found his first job as a farm attendant on Church Road in Westlands.

That same year, Ishmael met Grace Ngina, and the two married in 1984. They went on to raise eight children, four sons and four daughters, all still living. To support his growing family, Ishmael worked a series of jobs before settling into a long career as a security guard, a role he held from 1986 until his retirement in 2017.

In 2010, a breach of trust in Ishmael's marriage led him to a moment of reckoning. When he began feeling unwell later that year, he chose to get tested for HIV right away. "When they told me I am HIV positive, I stood there numb, not knowing what to do or say," he remembers. "I was scared of losing my family."

Before Ishmael found the right moment to talk with Grace, tragedy struck: he learned that Grace had been killed by a relative during a family dispute that also took the life of his mother-in-law. The loss compounded the fear and grief he was already carrying. 

"My life was shaken to the core," Ishmael says. "I felt feeble and broken." In the years that followed, he withdrew, carrying his grief largely alone.

In 2022, Ishmael happened to be present when Untold's Kangemi center staff were recruiting clients at a nearby health center. What he heard about the program spoke to a need he'd been carrying for years. A loving community. He joined the program in 2023.

Through the center, Ishmael gave his life to Christ and became part of the church that hosts the Kangemi center. The program gave him space to tell his story, which he says helped him begin to heal and to release the pain of the past. He built genuine friendships with other clients and, in turn, became a source of support for others working through their own struggles with treatment adherence and disclosure.

When Ishmael developed a skin condition called dermatitis during the program, causing his skin to peel and itch, Untold's Medical Endowment Fund provided 5,000 Ksh toward his treatment. His skin has since fully recovered. Through the program's vocational training, he also learned two new trades: making leather sandals and producing peanut butter.

After graduating from the program, Ishmael chose to stay connected to Untold, joining the Kangemi center team as a Male Champion. In that role, he mentors other men through their own healing journeys, drawing on his own story with openness and dedication. His commitment has contributed to a 100% retention rate among men at the center.

"My life was restored when I was in the program," Ishmael says. "I will give it out to the restoration of many others."