We Lost Him, yet We Lost Him Not Grief is Mixed with Gratitude

Al Omda

Mohamed El Toum, better known as "Al Omda" lived 46 years. He is an old partner, friend, mentor and shining example of living with HIV in this region including promoting People Living with HIV (PLH)' rights. He was the first person in the Arab region to face society as an HIV positive person, without cover.
He lifted up hope and faith in life confronting stigma and discrimination with such grace and strength, and faced HIV, an enemy many thought to be invincible.

"Al Omda" is a long-time partner of the HIV/AIDS Regional Programme in the Arab States (HARPAS). His presence, testimonies and interventions had a decisive impact on the landmark Cairo Colloquium for Religious Leaders, December 2004. He then went home to Sudan with the Muslim and Christian manuals for religious leaders strengthening his friends who are living with HIV.

"Al Omda" then stood in front of "Arascope Film" cameras without anonymity to express fully the hopes and dreams of PLH. This became an important part of the television documentary series: "I Love Life", to be aired soon regionally, and prepared in joint venture with HARPAS.
He was also with us in a PLH training workshop in Tunisia (February 2006), where we were by his side in one of his rounds of struggle with the disease. He was admitted to the hospital in Tunis and stayed there for 3 weeks, accompanied by the workshop participants' prayers until he traveled back to Khartoum to proceed with his struggle with and for PLH.

"Al Omda", most certainly did not start his work in the AIDS response with us, it was the other way around. We joined him and his comrades and they led us in the AIDS journey. But his departure from this life took place among us, during his address to the religious leaders of the Sudan workshop (15-18th November 2006). His words audible to the ears ceased there, but his message to our hearts continues. His talk in the workshop came to an abrupt end, but his discourse with in our spiritual consciousness did not and will not.

We lost him, yet we lost him not, he has left in the hearts of each one of us some of his own courage, straight forwardness, humility, and faith. We received those gifts from him and these will never depart from us. We must hope to instill these attributes in other hearts as his work ripples out in new life.
May this hope overcome the darkness within and around us. Grief mixes with gratitude even with subtle pride, as if Al Omda chose to launch in his journey out of this world from our midst, as if he handed the torch to us and entrusted us with his most precious legacy.

We shall not say farewell, we shall instead say thank you. And we shall ask you to pray for us wherever you are so that we may be faithful to what you entrusted us with, dear friend.