Abdul is a man in his 60s from North Africa. When he first came to The Food Chain, life felt overwhelming. Having been diagnosed with HIV in the 1980s, his health had been seriously impacted, which meant he was unable to work and struggling financially. After his referral, The Food Chain’s HIV Specialist Dietitians sent him free deliveries of fresh healthy groceries to his home, which helped reduce his living costs. He was also invited to attend Eating Together, a twice-weekly group meal service for people living with HIV in London. Abdul still recalls his very first time coming to Eating Together. “Passionate people offered me tea, coffee, and food when I was sitting. It surprised me. I felt so many emotions. It was fabulous. People here really treat me like a part of the family.” Something that really stuck with Abdul and made the experience even more meaningful was the respect shown for his religion from staff and volunteers, something he rarely experienced elsewhere. “I need to eat halal, and they respect that. They respect whatever you are.”
In the community that Abdul is from, HIV is taboo. “In my community, the stigma around HIV is very high. We don’t really talk about it. Because of the religion, people say HIV is a punishment.” At Eating Together, it became gradually easier for Abdul to share his HIV status. He learned from other Service Users and staff to reframe his thinking around HIV – that it is treatable and has nothing to do with punishment. This gave him confidence to, in turn, educate others in his community, where Abdul says people are often shocked. “They say, “You have HIV? You should have been dead a long time ago.””
Through Eating Together, Abdul was able to access much more than meals. He found a space to meet new people, connect, learn, and feel supported. “The Food Chain gave me a reason to go out. I met many friends here. I learned about many different cultures. We feel connected to everybody. We switch phone numbers. I learn from them, and they learn from me.” Abdul has also learned many things about food and nutrition. He now understands how to read food labels, choose nutritious food, and has developed his cooking skills through The Food Chain’s cookery courses. “I learned how to use a knife, how to cut things. I learned about recipes as well.”
Abdul now manages his diet and diabetes more carefully, avoiding sugar, salt, and late-night meals. He no longer eats fast food and knows more about when and how to eat well as he ages. He also learned how to manage physical pain, which has greatly improved his quality of life. At Eating Together, the kitchen volunteers know about his diabetes, so they always make him a special alternative for dessert, such as stewed fruit, helping him stay on track.
Beyond food and nutrition, staff provide holistic information to help Abdul access services outside of The Food Chain, including counselling, support groups, welfare and benefits advice and help engaging with health appointments. Abdul says this has helped him understand what kinds of support are out there and how to access it. “I am more confident to talk about what problem I have and discuss it with the staff. I trust the staff. I rely on them. But now I have knowledge myself: this is the right place for me to solve this problem.”
For anyone feeling nervous and unsure about coming to The Food Chain, Abdul offered encouragement. He said that maybe it would feel unnatural for someone when they come for the first time, but after a couple of times they will see how welcoming it is, and their fear and stress will be less. “There is no need to be nervous” Abdul says. “This is a very good environment.”
Ten years after his first ever attendance, Abdul says his positive feelings about The Food Chain remain the same, if not stronger. He has become close friends with other Service Users and feels so familiar with the staff in The Food Chain that it’s almost like he is a staff member too! “It is like a part of my life, a part of my family, or a part of me.”
Names have been changed to protect anonymity.