From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State Sickle Cell Association (KESCA) has commenced preparations to empower it members to be economically independent as part of efforts to make life comfortable for the over 2,000 members of the association in the state.
The coordinator of the association, Hajiya Khadija Yahaya-Shantali, made this known at the 2021 World Sickle Cell celebration in Birnin Kebbi.
She explained that the sickle cell disorder cause emotional, economic and financial stresses to the families of patients.
‘In this regard, the KESCA has stepped up its humanitarian and non- governmental efforts to mitigate our 2,000 registered members from economic and financial burden of skill cell disorder,’ she said.
‘With the situation of the economy in this country, even the normal individuals are facing a lot of problems and challenges both financially and otherwise.
‘There is always a choice in the home between whether to by food or drugs for your skill cell child,’ he said.
Shantali revealed that the association had come up with programmes in 2021 to assist the SCD patients in the state.
‘We are going to look at the members that have existing businesses with limited capital to empower them boost their businesses.
‘We are all going to look at our members who are into cosmology, juice making, cake making, animal fattening and poultry.
‘We are also going to provide skill acquisition training to our members that need skills on computer, act and craft, agriculture, tailoring, food management and restaurant management, among others,’ she said.
She expressed optimism that the little assistance to the members would be able to find a means of livelihood to fend for themselves and finance their routine medication.
‘The expectation is, by next year 50 per cent of our members will be empowered economically and financially.
‘We are now into collaboration with Khadimiyya for Social Justice Initiative’s foundation to ensure more members of the KESCA are assisted in anyway possible in the state,’ she said.
Yahaya-Shantali appealed to the state government to ensure protection of children and individuals living with SCD by ensuring the state sickle cell law.
The coordinator also thanked individuals as well as the KESCA team for their untiring support and donations.
The Programme Manager of KESCA, Kabir Musa, in his remarks, explained that the association had submitted a bill before the House of Assemble seeking special treatment for Sickle Cell Anemia patients in hospital, insurance scheme cover and abolition of stigmatisation of members, among others.