REACH A CHILD INITIATIVE ZAMBIA
SOCIAL MEDIA VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Social Media volunteers wanted to help promote, develop and maintain our online presence in order to maximize our impact and to promote ourselves as widely as possible to the world.
We want volunteers to help RACIZ use social media platforms to promote our activities and achievements and keep our social media channels updated on a frequent basis.
We also want to encourage others to comment and share by ensuring that communication reaches a wide range of local stakeholders and diverse audiences.
Lastly, we need volunteers to help develop and manage content for our website and increase our social media on other platforms, such as Twitter, Pinterest & YouTube. If possible, track the effectiveness of our social media work and recommend ways forward. Regularly test content and review its impact, making sure that our events and news are up to date. Develop publicity materials and communication techniques to target communities that are under-represented.
This is an exciting opportunity as it will give you the freedom to grow into the role, whilst helping RACIZ to grow so more children can be treated.
We would like to have two more social media/web designers and an online fundraiser volunteer.
APRIL 2022
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)
Emmanuel’s Story
15-year-old Emmanuel Musonda, is among many Zambian children living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)
today; SCD is an inherited blood disorder that is passed on from both parents to their children, that
causes pain episodes, anemia (low red blood cell count), chest infections, yellowing of eyes known as
Jaundice and stroke being one of its complication as well as other symptoms. He lives with his parents
and four elder brothers in Lusaka’s Kanyama compound located on the west side of the city center.
Emmanuel is a vibrant young boy, always with a smile despite the disease taking its toll on him.
Musonda was diagnosed with SCD at the age of six months following an illness of malaria; Doctors at the
University Teaching Hospital (UTH) decided to test him for this as he had severe anemia and
unfortunately, he tested positive for sickle cell.
It is believed that approximately 1 in every 5 Zambian adult carries the sickle cell gene or trait, that has
contributed to an increase in the number of new SCD cases in the last few years. Like many parents in
Zambia, Emmanuel’s parents, Nicholas Musonda and Rebecca Musoni, did not know their sickle status.
Finding out that that their child had sickle cell disease came as a surprise because as the fifth child and
the only one who was born with this condition amongst his siblings. “It was not easy for us to believe
this news because Emmanuel was our fifth child and the only one diagnosed with SCD,” said Rebecca.
Most of the time upon getting any respiratory tract infection such as a cough or colds it would result in a
complication that affect children living SCD called Acute Chest Syndrome (ACS) which requires
hospitalization. We were in and out of hospital, 4 to 5 times or more in a year and sometimes we would
be admitted in children’s wing for three weeks.,” his Mother lamented.
On 1 April 2020, Emmanuel was enrolled under the Reach a Child Initiative Zambia (RACIZ) program
where he started receiving free Hydroxyurea, a drug used to treat SCD and to assist the under privileged
families who cannot afford to purchase this life long drug. The program is now helping more than 70
under-privileged children living with sickle cell disease in and around Lusaka. Every month, like many
other patients, Emmanuel heads to the University Teaching Hospital to receive his monthly medication
of Hydroxyurea.
Ever since he started taking Hydroxyurea, Emmanuel has been far much better, he plays more with his
friends, he enjoys playing soccer in his neighborhood. He has less hospitalizations. He is in grade 6 but
due to his sickness, he has not been attending classes this term though his Mother hopes he can
continue in second term.
Emmanuel's father originally from Luapula Province works as a General worker in Lusaka town and his
Mother is a housewife. Apart from taking hydroxyurea, he is also taking folic acid and delta prim a
medication used to prevent malaria in people living with SCD.
More than 30 children like Emmanuel Musonda, received their much-needed Hydroxyurea drug on 2
April 2022 and more are expected to receive their drug in the coming weeks. Through its program,
RACIZ, also makes follow-up on all the children under its program to ensure that they receive their
monthly Hydroxyurea.
FEBRUARY 2022
A month full of designs for RACIZ
Our RACIZ/UNILUS Social media volunteers made this gems for us.
We are excited
Thank you Team!
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RACIZ/UNILUS Social media TrainingRACIZ in collaboration with The university of Lusaka (UNILUS) is training 200 plus volunteers who have been divided into 4 groups.
These volunteers are students studying at UNILUS in various faculties.They will be our interns to manage our social media platforms in order to enhance their business skills and after this program each volunteer will be given a certificate of completion.
We are excited that we will be helping these students become better at social media marketing.
They will also learn more about the work we are doing as RACIZ thereby carrying out our online sickle cell awareness program.
These students will continue carrying out this awareness program in years to come.
It's our honor to work with The UNILUS business and nursing department Team.
Thank you
JANUARY 2022
JANUARY 2022
RACIZ EDITORIAL TEAM Chief editor:
Mr Reuben Phiri - Partnership and Administrative Coordinator
August was a blessed month as Rotary Club heeded the call and responded with a donation of 2000 capsules (20 boxes) towards the RACIZ Hydroxyurea project which is in conjunction with the Childrens’ Hospital at the UTH. Hydroxyurea, a rare expensive miracle drug is used to treat patients that bravely endure and live with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Most of these brave SCD warriors come from low income households and as such their parents cannot afford to pay for this lifelong medication because of the cost. Thus the gesture by the Rotary Club of Lusaka came at the right time when RACIZ needed this partnership the most.
RACIZ Executive Chairman Dr. Indrex Chisawa speaking on behalf of the patients expressed his gratitude to the Rotary Club for the timely intervention and support to the Hydroxyurea project. “We are thrilled to have your support . Through your donation we are able to give medication to our warriors and we will continue working towards helping these children month by month through the Hydroxyurea project,” Dr Chisawa said, adding: “ You truly made a difference for us and our patients , and we are extremely grateful for your generosity. We look forward to working with you in future in order to help more children living with SCD in Zambia.”
UTH Senior Medical Superintendent (SMS) Dr. Mwenechanya who graced the occasion with other UTH staff, thanked the Rotary Club of Lusaka for their kind gesture and noted that the hospital rarely had the drug to prescribe to SCD patients. “ The hospital pharmacy last stocked the drug 2 years ago,” indicated the pharmacist who was in attendance. National SCD Taskforce lead Dr. Catherine Chunda noted that SCD had not only affected Zambia and the sub-Saharan Africa, but it has also become a global public health concern especially with regards to treatment and management.
Presenting the donation, Rotary Club of Lusaka Director of Programs Mr. Abraham Geevarghese said he and his team were delighted to help and pledged to continue with this gesture in future.
In a vote of thanks on behalf of the beneficiary parents, Mr. Mwanza, a father to two children living with SCD was all praises for the partnership of the Rotary Club, UTH and RACIZ. “You can see that I have two children both with the disease. It is very expensive for me to provide the medication and other requirements for the wellbeing of my children. The Hydroxyurea project has really helped my children.” " l almost lost my son but now he is still alive" .Mr. Mwanza said.
Sickle Cell Disease is a public health concern that has not received the attention it deserves and therefore requires concerted effort from both the public and private stakeholders to deal with the increasing number of cases in Zambia. RACIZ advocates that the fight against SCD should be made a public health priority by coming together to help families affected by this genetic disease that is passed on from parents who carriers (sickle cell trait) to children.
Most children with the disease come from low income peri-urban townships and from the rural parts of Zambia and can barely afford the expensive hydroxyurea medication and thus the importance of a robust multi-sectoral approach in mobilizing of resources to supplement their treatment requirements. Further, there is a requirement to heighten sensitization about SCD to every part of the nation on the same scale as that of HIV/AIDS.
As RACIZ we would like to encourage Zambians to visit the hospital to know their SCD status especially those intending to marry. It is important because if both parents have the sickle cell traits present, there is a 25% (1 in 4) chance with each pregnancy that the baby will be born with SCD. This will help couples make informed decisions should they wish to proceed to get married knowing they may have to cope with a child with SCD, or that they would rather separate for this reason. The choice remains with the individuals or couples.In order to deal with the present SCD burden, RACIZ calls for a multi-sectoral approach and appeals to more stakeholders to emulate the Rotary Club of Lusaka and come on board to fight the disease in Zambia through treatment and management of these children.
You can partner with us by visiting our website at www.raciz.org or email us at info@raciz.org.
Thank you
AUGUST 2021
AUGUST 25 - 2021
ROTARY CLUB WORKING WITH RACIZ
The Rotary Club donation working with RACIZ was covered on Wednesday main news. You may watch using the link from 49:16 to 52:30..
Together we are making a difference in the sickle cell world.
Watch it on LinkedIn.
JULY 2021
Here are some photos from the July Hydroxyurea refill handover.
WORLD SICKLE CELL DISEASE DAY
This World Sickle Cell Awareness Day
I'm honoured to join in another event to recognise the #sicklecellwarriors.
Here is #God at play.
I'm humbled to be among these greats to give a platform to sickle cell warriors.
These life coaches here will help anyone going through anything in life have a positive mindset
As per Dr Chisawa who had the privilege to attend one of these sessions face to face, they give you energy to see life from a winner's pointer of view rather than feeling sorry and miserable within.
"Winning in life starts from inside. If we can start encouraging our SCD warriors about their self confidence, that they have limitless potential within esp our adolescent plus their caregivers then we will be giving them hope and assurance from life experience. The coaches will help us see life from a different horizon"
Join us on Wednesday 16th June 2021 at
8pm Melbourne Australia Time.
12PM Zambian time
6pm Beijing time
SUPPORT SCD PATIENTS BY DONATING 1$ ONLY
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98784675068?pwd=VCt6eWhoNmhHcDV5eVV2WGRFUWZiUT09
#GodAtWork #LifeChanging #GlobalSCDAdvocate
#SickleCellTalksWithAgnes
#AmplifySickleCellVoicesInternational
#www.raciz.org
Thank you
JUNE 2021
MAY 2021
We managed to give hydroxyurea to 29 patients with Sickle Cell Disease. Month of May refill.
APRIL 2021
April 2021 - Anti-malaria donations handover
MARCH IS A MIRACLE MONTH
“This is a miracle!”
exclaimed one of the excited parents to the children on the beneficiary list of Hydroxyurea.
Indeed March was a miracle month as RACIZ presented the monthly dosage of the life sustaining drug to children who are living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) at the UTH Children’ s Hospital.
At the same time was a presentation of nutritional supplies of foodstuffs including infant formula, cooking utensils and cleaning detergents to AO7 ward Children’s Hospital at UTH in support our children’s nutrition project to support the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM).
About 30 children with SCD are expected to benefit from this donation of Hydroxyurea.
The event was graced by senior UTH medical and other staff.
The miracle was replicated in the rural part of Chongwe District when the RACIZ team earlier donated kits of the life-saving coartem anti-malaria drugs in the quest to supplement government efforts in the fight against Malaria one of the major causes of death in Zambian children.
Thank God the donation made on this day arrived just at the nick of time and was able to save the life of a little child who was found with severe malaria.
A Miracle indeed it was! A total of 1,720 courses of coartem for children below 15Kg body weight were presented and quite a number of children in the rural community are expected to benefit from this donation.
The presentation ceremony was graced by the facility medical staff and an official from the District Health Office.
MARCH 2021
FEBRUARY 2021
FEBRUARY 2021
February 2021 is an exciting month for RACIZ because we got registered as a recognized NGO by the Government of the Republic of Zambia to deal with health in the treatment of malaria, sickle cell disease, malnutrition and other diseases that may affect children. We have ended this wonderful month by donating some antimalarial drugs to help treat children with malaria due to the outbreak of the same infectious disease in some areas in the country. Our aid has come at the right time in strengthening government's effort to fight this disease in the area. RACIZ will continue to help in this fight of saving one child at a time with malaria. Thanks to all our donors and our members for their support . Your donations will go a long way to help RACIZ achieve it's health mission in Zambia.
SOME NEWS ABOUT OUR NUTRITIONAL PROJECT
Supplement feeding treatment efforts to children who present with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) at UTH through provision of the needed dietary requirements
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MALARIA PREVENTION PROJECT
A batch of Malaria treatment drugs just arrived in the place where it is most awaited.
MAY 2020
DONATION TO HEMATOLOGY WARD
RACIZ made a donation of Hydroxyurea to the SCD patients of the Hematology Ward.
DONATION TO MALNUTRITION WARD
These assorted foods were donated by RACIZ in April to the Malnutrition Ward.
APRIL 2020
DONATION TO HEMATOLOGY WARD
RACIZ made a donation of Hydroxyurea to the SCD patients of the Hematology Ward.
MEET EMMANUEL (13 YEARS OLD)
This is Emmanuel a 13 year old boy getting his monthly hydroxyurea refill .
He was saying thank you for the hydroxyurea.
His health has improved after being on hydroxyurea for 3 consecutive months.
FEBRUARY 2021
MEET CHRISTOPHER (RECOVERING FROM A STROKE)
Meet Christopher who recently had a Stroke and with your donations we were able to buy hydroxyurea to prevent future strokes. The stroke left him with a disability as he can't walk properly. With proper and early treatment we can help prevent such disabilities from many children
MEET THE MUPETA FAMILY
Yesterday l had the previlege of visiting one of our patient for a refill whom we have been helping since April when started this project. Her name is Natasha and 2 of her siblings: Troy and Joshua. They have Sickle cell anemia.
All the 3 are on hydroxyurea and their living conditions are not that good. Our suppliers have also hacked the price of hydroxyurea during this covid period saying the exchange rates have gone up. We prayed together with family and handed over the Hydroxyurea to them.
MEET GIVEN (7 YEARS OLD, STROKE)
Meet Given a 7 year old boy who recently had a stroke (as you can see the blue arrows pointing his deficiencies). He is now disabled in the way he walks and his mouth diverted to the left (blue arrows) RACIZ through your support gave him 2 stripes of hydrourea which will see him through for a month to prevent future strokes. He is saying thanks.
MEET MIRACLE
Meet Miracle. She is 14 years old. Through your donations, RACIZ could provide her the well needed hydrourea medicine. She is very thankful for your help.
