Our deeply held belief is that the local church is where healing begins. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world; God designed the local church to be His hands and feet. — Molly Heacock, Managing Director, Untold

Across East and Southern Africa, churches foster safe communities of people whose stories were once silenced by HIV/AIDS. Many Untold clients, upon revealing their HIV status, were cast out of their ancestral homes, abandoned by family, and stripped of their land. With nowhere to go, they found themselves utterly isolated, cut off from relatives, community, and any sense of belonging.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS has historically been a death sentence. Although medication is available globally, the stigma surrounding the disease still prevents people from accessing life-saving care. Stigma also cuts people off from once-thriving communities, leaving hundreds of thousands of men and women lonely, vulnerable, and spiritually devastated.

From the start, Untold has recognized the full scope of their clients’ needs, offering integrated care that addresses physical, emotional, spiritual, and economic well-being. The co-founders were shaped by two key influences: the principles of When Helping Hurts and co-founder Cornel Onyango’s personal journey. For 20 years, he has cared for his mother after she disclosed her HIV status, providing the same compassionate support Untold now provides to its clients.

At Untold, healing begins in the local church. Clients are welcomed at 108 church-based centers throughout Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa. At the end of March, they celebrated a major milestone—50,000 graduates from their program!

Each cohort—80 men, women, and now youth living with HIV—receives physical, spiritual, emotional, and economic support.

For nine months, clients attend weekly sessions: individual health consultations, spiritual teaching, and small group therapy. Wrap-around services ensure access to medical and mental health care, while full-time health and spiritual counselors guide their journey. In small groups, clients build deep connections as they tackle topics like HIV/AIDS stigma, relationships, and family dynamics.

Through a partnership with Chalmers’ partner HOPE International, Untold integrates RESTORE savings groups into the program. Clients gain skills in sewing, beadmaking, cooking, or furniture making—empowering them to earn an income and reconnect with their communities.

By the time they graduate from the 9-month program, clients begin to see themselves as worthy of a life beyond AIDS. In addition to stabilizing their physical health, Untold’s goal is for every client to make meaningful progress in one-on-one counseling, gain the skills needed for employment or entrepreneurship, and achieve economic stability through their savings group.

Clients find a home in the church, and their savings groups create a support system that enables them to stay connected, continue saving, and access loans when needed long after they have graduated from the program.

“I have found a family in Untold.”
“This is the family I’ve chosen.”
“The church is my new family.”

These words are echoed by Untold clients who find belonging in the church and their savings groups. Celeste, a graduate in Mombasa, Kenya, is a testament to this transformation. As an Untold graduate and chairperson of her savings group, she helped secure a government loan available to women-led groups. This funding enabled members to launch businesses, creating economic opportunities not just for themselves but for their entire community. Year after year, their businesses continue to grow as they borrow, invest, and repay their loans.

Once among the most vulnerable, these women are now leaders—building stronger communities and creating opportunities that help others to flourish.