About SISC-Wisconsin
Alaafia is a Registered 501(c)(3).
All donations are tax-deductible.
Registered No 84-4761643.
Strength in Sickle Cell was founded in loving memory of Ti’binta Fatamata Kamara, a courageous Sickle Cell Warrior who passed away on January 28, 2014. This initiative honors her legacy by continuing the fight for awareness, support, and strength for those living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Alaafia’s expanded program is tailored to cater to the needs of the Sickle Cell community. This endeavor bears the name “Strength in Sickle Cell.”
Alaafia serves as Wisconsin’s comprehensive Sickle Cell resource hub, your go-to destination for support, resources and information.
The project is centered around these key domains:
Comprehensive Support Services
Clients receive access to essential services such as healthcare navigation, legal assistance, mental health counseling, and employment support to promote long-term stability.
Economic Security for Sickle Cell Patients Vulnerable to Sexual Violence
Sickle Cell patients face unique economic and health challenges that increase their risk of sexual violence. Discrimination, limited job opportunities, and chronic illness often lead to financial instability and vulnerability.
Alaafia’s prevention approach strengthens economic security as a protective factor by offering:
- Employment Programs: Tailored job training, DVR support, and flexible career plans that accommodate health needs and cultural barriers.
- Healthcare Access: Coordination with providers and insurers to ensure ongoing care, enabling patients to maintain employment and stability.
- Financial Literacy: Culturally relevant workshops on budgeting, saving, credit, and planning to build long-term financial independence.
By addressing economic instability, Alaafia empowers Sickle Cell patients to reduce dependence, avoid exploitation, and reclaim personal safety.
Digital Career Training for Sickle Cell Families
This facet is designed not only to aid individuals living with Sickle Cell but also to provide support for their families. Alaafia delivers specialized training to equip them for digital careers.
Domestic and Sexual Violence Services
Alaafia offers dedicated services and resources specifically crafted for individuals with Sickle Cell disease who are also affected by domestic and sexual violence.
Alaafia Temporary Housing, Assisted Living and Rent Programs
Alaafia’s Temporary Housing and Assisted Living Programs are designed to provide safe, stable, and supportive environments for African immigrants and individuals with Sickle Cell. These programs offer short-term housing solutions as well as long-term assisted living options, tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual.
Key Features:
- Safe and Secure Housing: Our temporary housing provides a safe space for individuals and families in crisis, helping them transition out of harmful environments while they rebuild their lives.
- Assisted Living: For clients requiring ongoing support due to medical conditions like Sickle Cell Disease, Alaafia offers assisted living services. These include daily living assistance, access to healthcare, and culturally competent care designed to maintain their dignity and independence.
- Culturally Tailored Care: Both programs are designed with cultural sensitivity, ensuring that our clients feel understood, respected, and supported in their healing journey.
- Empowerment and Independence: Alaafia focuses on helping individuals regain their independence through skill-building, education, and empowerment, preparing them for a future of self-sufficiency.
Our Temporary Housing, Assisted Living and Rent Programsare essential in providing vulnerable populations with the resources and support they need to heal, grow, and thrive in a safe and compassionate environment.
Alaafia Sickle Cell Transportation Program
Removing Barriers to Care, One Ride at a Time
Access to timely medical care is critical for individuals living with Sickle Cell Disease. Yet for many, transportation remains a major barrier, especially during crises. Alaafia’s Sickle Cell Transportation Program has been designed to bridge that gap since 2021 with dignity, safety, and urgency.
We provide free, reliable transportation to:
- Emergency Room visits
- Routine doctor appointments
- Medication pick-ups from pharmacies
- Specialist consultations and lab follow-ups
Through our partnership with Uber Health, rides are arranged quickly, confidentially, and at no cost to the patient. This system allows us to support individuals during both emergencies and ongoing care needs, reducing hospitalizations, missed appointments, and treatment delays.
Why It Matters:
Sickle Cell patients often face unpredictable pain episodes and complications that require immediate medical attention. Our transportation program helps eliminate the stress of “how to get there,” so clients can focus on healing and staying healthy.
Whether it’s a ride to the ER at 2 a.m. or a trip to pick up life-saving medication, Alaafia is here because no one should be left behind due to a lack of transportation.
Mental Health Support
Alaafia provides Mental Health Support for Sickle Cell families because it is a crucial aspect of comprehensive healthcare. Living with Sickle Cell can be challenging, not just physically but also emotionally and mentally for both the individuals affected and their families. This program offers tailored psychological support to address the unique stresses and emotional burdens of managing Sickle Cell Disease.
Key aspects of this Mental Health Support program include:
Counseling Services
Support Groups
Educational Workshops
Access to Resources
Holistic Care Approach
Implementing this Mental Health Support program aims to enhance the overall quality of life for Sickle Cell families, ensuring they have the emotional and psychological support necessary to navigate the complexities of the disease.
Advocacy for Sickle Cell Legislation
Alaafia actively advocates for transformative legislation that can significantly impact the lives of those living with Sickle Cell.
“Strength in Sickle Cell” has devised a range of programs designed to uplift local communities. One of these programs offers digital training to assist our Sickle Cell clients in developing marketable skills, potentially leading to roles like Social Media Managers.
The primary prevention strategy focuses on enhancing economic stability as a critical measure to reduce the vulnerability of African immigrants and Sickle Cell patients to sexual violence. Economic security is directly linked to personal safety, as financial independence can reduce the risks associated with dependency and exploitation, common precursors to violence.
Key Project Initiatives:
Employment Programs:
We provide job training and employment placement programs tailored to the needs of African immigrants and Sickle Cell patients. These programs address cultural and linguistic barriers and accommodate the need for flexible work schedules or environments suited to managing health conditions. We will assist with DVR registration for Sickle Cell patients and provide custom career plans and logistical support, such as ensuring access to comfortable workspaces.
Healthcare Accessibility:
We work with healthcare providers and insurance organizations to ensure access to essential healthcare services, including preventive care and treatment for Sickle Cell disease. By promoting health and stability, we help individuals remain capable of maintaining employment, a key factor in achieving economic security.
Financial Literacy and Management Education:
This project offers financial education workshops that cover budgeting, saving, financial planning, and responsible credit use. These workshops are culturally tailored to address the specific challenges faced by African immigrants and Sickle Cell patients, empowering them with the knowledge and tools to achieve long-term financial stability.
Alaafia Sickle Cell Research Program
The Alaafia Sickle Cell Research Program is a community-led initiative dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by Sickle Cell Disease, rooted in cultural understanding and medical advocacy. This program combines research, outreach, and lived experience to address urgent gaps in care, access, and awareness.
We believe research must reflect the voices and realities of those most impacted. That’s why our approach is deeply collaborative, with patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and researchers working together to generate solutions that are relevant, respectful, and life-changing.
Program Highlights:
- Community-driven surveys and focus groups
- Partnerships with hospitals and universities
- Data collection to shape better care models
- Training healthcare providers on culturally specific care
- Supporting policy change for long-term health equity
Sickle Side Art
A Creative Collective from the Heart of the Sickle Cell Experience
Sickle Side Art is a vibrant collective of artists living with Sickle Cell Disease, united by their passion for creativity and healing. Through painting, poetry, sculpture, music, film, content creation and more, these artists share powerful personal stories, transforming their lived experiences into impactful works of art.
This community provides a safe and inspiring space to:
- Showcase and refine artistic talents
- Participate in creative challenges and collaborative projects
- Use art as a voice to raise awareness about life with Sickle Cell
- Explore therapeutic expression as a way to manage chronic pain and emotional strain
More than just art, it’s resilience, identity, and advocacy painted in every stroke.
Sickle Cell Educational Prevention and Treatment
This aspect encompasses educational efforts on Sickle Cell prevention, treatment options and potential cures aimed at patients and their caregivers.