Keep 500 Sick Kids Alive in Crisis-Hit Communities

Dear partners,

Children living with sickle cell disease face painful and dangerous crises when their red blood cells sickle and block blood flow. These episodes are often triggered by environmental stressors — especially sudden temperature changes. Unfortunately, in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and informal settlements across Northern Nigeria, children are exposed to exactly the conditions that make crises more likely.

Most families live in uninsulated tents or makeshift shelters that offer little protection from the weather. At night, temperatures drop sharply, exposing children to cold air that directly triggers sickling. During the day, extreme heat inside plasticsheeted shelters causes dehydration, another major driver of painful vasoocclusive crises. These environmental extremes create a daily cycle of risk that sickle cell children cannot escape.

Our project is designed to address these root causes headon. With your support, we are providing families with protective materials such as warm clothing, blankets, and insulated coverings to reduce cold exposure at night. We are also supplying hydration packs, oral rehydration salts, and caregiver education to help children stay hydrated during the intense daytime heat. Through our mobile clinics, we will monitor vulnerable children closely, treat early signs of crisis, and teach parents how to reduce environmental triggers inside their shelters.

In the coming days, once GlobalGiving disburses the next round of funds, we will also begin a radio advocacy campaign to reach thousands of caregivers with practical guidance on preventing temperaturerelated crises. This outreach will help families understand why cold nights and hot days are dangerous for sickle cell children — and what simple steps they can take to protect them.

Your generosity is helping us confront the environmental realities that make life so difficult for sickle cell children in displacement camps. I will return soon with updates from the field so you can see the impact your kindness is making.

Thank you for standing with these children.

Warmly,