DR Congo: Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters serving people with HIV/AIDS

By Sr. Dorothée Sindani, RSCJ

In our wounded world, some people live with HIV in silence, marked by inner suffering, fear of rejection, shame over their condition and by the weight of the judgment of others.

Receiving an HIV diagnosis means physical suffering and stigmatization, which is why many of those affected often prefer to stay silent, hiding their condition for fear of being rejected by their family or by society.

By providing medical support and spiritual guidance through the group, “Friends of Sophie”, the consecrated women turn desperation into a new beginning.

A mission of compassion and integral accompaniment

Inspired by the charism of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a symbol of the merciful love of Jesus, the Sisters welcome people living with HIV, without judging them. Through simple daily gestures and attentive listening, they remind them that illness does not define the value of a person.

The assistance provided by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is organized in such a way as to preserve human dignity in the face of illness.

It entails offering moral and material support to adults and to children who are still unaware of their condition.

Spiritual, moral, psychological and material support

“Friends of Sophie” was officially established in 2019, but long before then, Sr Marie-Pascaline Ekosoni, RSCJ, had already offered her assistance to a family affected by HIV. When a person does not accept their condition, they can suffer from psychological issues.

To avoid this, Sr Marie-Pascaline offers an attentive ear, with the aim of strengthening the self-esteem and resilience of patients as they confront their illness. Named after the Congregation’s foundress, Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, the group sees the sick as friends of the Saint to be welcomed within a true spiritual family, free of stigmatization.

In addition to spiritual, moral and psychological assistance, the Sisters provide material aid (milk, maize flour, sugar, rice…), which offered with love, gives patients an opportunity to stay in shape and to not suffer from hunger, during treatment.

From suffering to bearing witness to hope

Thirty-five year old Ms Nouchka, a member of “Friends of Sophie”, has agreed to share her story. Born with HIV after being infected by her mother, who died a few years after her birth, she was the second of three siblings. They were all infected with HIV, but they had grown up without any knowledge of their condition.

“We were unaware of our condition”, she says, but she remembers that “people in the neighbourhood used to say: ‘these children’s mother died of HIV/AIDS’”. Unfortunately, the youngest child did not survive. Being rejected by her family and by society left her with deep wounds.

Because of her abandonment, Ms Nouchka experienced great distress, which led her to give up treatment and slip into depression. “I no longer wanted to live”, she confides. Like many others, she experienced her condition as being shameful, an impossible burden to carry, a feeling that is common to many people living with HIV.

An encounter that restores life

Ms Nouchka’s meeting with Sr Marie-Pascaline Ekosoni proved to be a decisive moment in her life. Welcomed with respect and kindness, listened to without being judged or condemned, Ms Nouchka gradually found hope again.

“This meeting was a glimmer of hope. I recovered my strength and decided to live”, she explains. With this support, she was able to discover a face of the Church that offers care, lifts one up again and restores.

The healing process was not easy. Ms Nouchka admits that she experienced times of anger and rebellion. “I had reached the point of condemning God, and especially my mother, when I understood the way infection had occurred. Because she should have protected us”, she says.

Today she is the mother of a three-year old boy, who is HIV-negative thanks to rigorous medical attention. Although the boy’s father has rejected and abandoned him, Ms Nouchka is continuing her journey with courage and dignity.

She now refuses to live in shame. “This condition is no longer a handicap for me”, she says. Committed to raising awareness, she is currently involved in encouraging others to take their medication regularly and to be responsible in human relationships, in order to protect their lives and the lives of others. She has become a voice for the voiceless, grateful to those who restored her hope.

“I thank Sr Marie-Pascaline Ekosoni and Marie-Jeanne Elonga and all the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for welcoming me. I have understood that the Heart of Jesus welcomes everyone, and that sometimes, we lack the courage to return to this heart that we long for. I have reclaimed my place in society. Today, I walk with my head held high. Those who accept me as I am are now part of my family”.

An appeal for acceptance and compassion

Ms. Nouchka’s experience is proof that no one is defined by their illness. In this blessed and wounded world, love lived concretely, unconditional acceptance and compassion can transform wounds into pathways of hope.

Unconditional acceptance is the first cure. “I dream of raising awareness in thousands of people and I am fighting for a world without HIV/AIDS”, Ms Nouchka concludes.