Zina's Story

Martha Koetsier, Benin

6 February 2008

"Zina" is just one of many people living with AIDS that I have visited as part of the Alafia AIDS ministry, but her story is one of God's redemption. The way we found her was extraordinary. One of our volunteers was in a village when a man pointed at a girl walking by, saying, "that girl has AIDS." He drew our volunteer a map—a neat design of roads and mango trees— to show us where she lived.

The next time when Pastor Jean and I did home visits, we followed the map to a large compound. After the customary greetings, we told them that we were from Bembereke hospital and were visiting sick people. “Did they have somebody sick in their family?” we asked, “Yes,” they replied and led us to Zina.

Zina's Story

Alone in the hut with us, she told her story. She had married very young and had a baby. After a few years, she was sick all the time, so her husband sent her back to her own family with their little daughter. She was skinny, tired, and often sick, but had no money of her own to go to the clinic. Even though people talked about her, she had never been tested for HIV. A test showed that the villagers', suspicions were right. Thankfully, her little daughter was negative.

Zina agreed that we could visit her every month. We gave her some medicines and vitamins, and she rapidly improved and started gaining weight. After a few months, she was a very pretty girl again. She was soon well enough to take up weaving again and earn herself some money. She listened eagerly to the Bible stories Pastor Jean told her and to Christian radio programmes.

But then things turned for the worse. Her brother told us that her previous husband was not interested in her, but other men were calling for her. We warned Zina about the dangers of this, but she was not as open as she used to be. One day when we went to visit, the family told us that she had gone with a boyfriend to Nigeria. We were disappointed, but not really surprised, since it is difficult for a woman to stay single in this culture.

We prayed for Zina every week. Seven months later, we heard that she was back. Pastor Jean went to visit her and found her sicker than she had ever been. He brought her back to the clinic, and shamefacedly, she told us her story. She miscarried twice in Nigeria before her boyfriend sent her away. She was afraid we would be angry since we left without saying anything, but we were so relieved that she was back.

A Lost Sheep is Found

Zina was full of joy the next time we visited her. She had heard the story about the lost sheep on the radio. “I am like that sheep,” she told us. She had prayed and thanked God that he had been looking for her and found her.

Zina has just started anti-retroviral treatment and is much better again. We put her into contact with a woman in her village who is also living with AIDS. They get on well and can encourage each other.

The road ahead is still not easy, and the same temptations are there, but we think that Zina has learned a hard lesson, and with God’s help will be able to resist temptation.

UPDATE 2009

Those invovled with the Alafia Project in Benin report that Zina's health is much better these days, though life is still not easy for her. She is faithfully attending church and, through the project, she was able to attend a girls’ school last year. Nikki Girls’ School, jointly run by SIM and the local church, teaches girls to read and write, and provides Bible teaching. Practical skills such as knitting and making soap are also taught. Today Zina is able to read her own Bible.