BACKGROUND

Joanne Chazima Sickle Cell Foundation (JCSCF), named after its co-founder Joanne Chazima, herself a sickle cell champion, is a Kenyan nonprofit organization seeking to create awareness about the sickle cell disease (SCD), set up sickle cell centres in areas prevalent with the disease to carry out successful diagnosis and management of the disease. The foundation will form partnerships with medical associations, corporate companies and medical doctors specialized in sickle cell care. Joanne Chazima Sickle Cell Foundation’s vision is to see to it that all sickle cell champions lead pain-free and productive lives. Joanne Chazima Sickle Cell Foundation is established in direct response to the growing number of people, especially children, born with sickle cell disease but remain unaware of their condition throughout their lives. The foundation’s primary focus is on children born and living with the disease while its secondary focus is to help sickle cell adults live with the disease by understanding its successful management to be able to lead productive lives.

Key Programs

JCSCF works to achieve its mission through its work in these 5 program areas

  • Awareness on Sickle Cell Disease

    We believe in having a stigma free society by creating awareness on the existing stigmas in Sickle Cell patients. With zero stigma people with sickle cell condition and caregivers will live a normal life and manage the condition like any other patient without facing discrimination from the society at large. We can achieve this through; Outreaches, Media sensitizations, Community mobilisation, Community education, documentaries, learning materials.

  • Health Service Linkages

    Through our long-term relations with doctors and hospitals around the country, sickle cell patients are able to access quality healthcare services at an affordable fee. We delight in helping Sickle Cell Champions get specialised treatment through the various partnerships we have we health stakeholders.

  • Advocacy and Networking

    We participate substantially in engaging the Ministry of Health to address the plight of sickle cell patients in Kenya. We push implementation of policy e.g. subsidization of Sickle Cell medicines like Hydroxyurea and other policies that would help sickle cell champions live a normal fulfilled life.

  • Partner with Hospitals at County level to run Sickle Cell Clinics

    The foundation seeks for donors and people of goodwill who can help achieve the goal of partnering with government, faith based and private hospitals. This will enable sickle cell patients access quality healthcare services and learn proper management of Sickle Cell Disease for a better life.

  • Capacity Development

    We look forth to supporting the training of healthcare professionals and community health workers on Sickle cell disease management and how they can care for patients. Kenya lacks firm data on Sickle cell Disease and as such, we are working to develop research papers and manuals on sickle cell disease in order to get a clear picture of the status of sickle cell disease in Kenya.

Joanne Chazima in Dandora Creating Awareness on Sickle Cell Disease - Joanne Chazima Sickle Cell Foundation

Keys to Success

  • Establish a strong network of support with the medical fraternity and funding partners
  • Launch a series of fundraising activities that will successfully fund the expanding program.
  • Establish an effective training program for family members, nurses and clinicians that will be providing care to the patients
  • Establish an effective monitoring system for the diagnosis and management of the patients to follow set procedures and standards.