Sickle Cell and SWINT Foundation
I’m always interested in hearing about non-governmental organisations who are working in the community, helping people living with Sickle cell. I recently found out about something amazing that a foundation called Sickle Women international Foundation, (SWINT), did. I asked the founder of SWINT to write about her foundation and herself. Here’s her story.
Tunrayo Adenle-Oluwole, is the founder of SWINT and she comes from a family of three warriors. She was the youngest and the sickliest while growing up, but now the only survivor. Tunrayo celebrated her 40th birthday with project 40k for 40 warriors. As someone, living with Sickle Cell, life can be daunting and a draining experience. Tunrayo says 40 years of living with sickle cell disorder is 100 years of living for a non-warrior. When warriors are young, medical practitioners tell them that from 21 years upward, they will get over the painful episodes of Sickle cell crises, but it has turned out not to be so as the older one gets, the more challenging Sickle Cell becomes with all it’s challenges.
As the only survivor in a family of three warriors, Tunrayo felt it was expedient to give God all the glory and put a smile on the faces of fellow female warriors. The project was instructed of her by God on a night she was having blood transfusion just before her 40th birthday. So rather than have a big birthday party, Tunrayo answered the call by ensuring that other warriors have a voice for themselves financially.
A fundraising platform was created and opened to family and friends for the project. Fliers were also created for donations. Afterward, a registration link was shared with every member of the organization who wanted to be a beneficiary of the project, and about thirty-five women registered. Instructions were then given to those who registered, to write a business proposal and/or give proof of why they needed extra cash flow for their already existing businesses.
After the registration and submission of proposals, a shortlisting process began where those who sent in proposals were screened. But as registered members were prioritized. There followed a virtual interview to check for the authenticity and visibility of the businesses that the members had in mind. It is known that due to sickle cell disorder, warriors are deprived of the privilege of equal opportunities like non-warriors in the career world. They most times have to forfeit opportunities of going higher in their career due to health challenges, while others just stay back at home in self-pity, doing nothing and find it challenging to meet their daily needs.
Project 40k for 40 warriors was an avenue to empower females living with sickle cell disorder. It was also a way to facilitate entrepreneurship, as a means for sickle cell women to support themselves and fend for their homes without being a burden on anyone.
A review of these proposals highlighted that woman living with sickle cell disorder had great plans for themselves but couldn’t dive into them because of their health and financial challenges. At the end of the shortlisting process, eight women were shortlisted as the beneficiaries of the project from Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, and Anambra states respectively. The cheque presentation event was on the 12th of February 2022; after a little get-together with the beneficiaries, it was indeed a time to network with one another at the foundation office in Ibadan, Oyo state.
*One of the beneficiaries, who is into fashion designing, decided to venture into shoe making and with the forty thousand naira grant, she was able to purchase materials for this new business venture, and has been managing both businesses since.
* A second beneficiary used the grant to resuscitate her sachet water business and the grant was enough for her to start up as a wholesaler.
* The third beneficiary although is a civil servant started a crayfish and stock fish business so that she can make ends meet more easily.
* The fourth among many others used the forty thousand naira grant to build a website for her online business so that she would be able to print codes for her utility bills business.
Giving life and hope to female vulnerable warriors and make them to have a reason to keep thriving has always been the driving force for SWINT foundation. As warriors we must stay united, showing love to one another and believing in ourselves, helping one another to stay fit physically, psychologically, financially and in every other face of life.
The fact that we battle with sickle cell disorder every day does not mean we should wallow away in self-pity neither should the stigmatization we are constantly subjected to from the society warrant us not standing up for ourselves and doing what is best for us. The joy derived from this project was, women living with Sickle cell, found more reasons to live healthy and purposeful lives.
SWINT Foundation is a gender-based non-Governmental organization that caters for the needs of women living with sickle cell disorder, hence the name Sickle women. They not only see to their physical needs, but they also take their psychological needs seriously thereby helping them to see the positive side of the pain and thrive with it. Their core values include advocacy, development, and optimism. Their Mission and Vision are improving the standard of living for women living with sickle cell disorder, so they can live a healthy and fulfilled life thereby impacting society positively and finding purpose, achieving it, and living a meaningful life. SWINT’s FB page is: Sickle women international foundation and Instagram is: swintfoundation.
