8 warrior heroine: Arafa Salim Said

Tonight on this International Women's Day we end our 8 warrior heroine series with Arafa Salim Said.

If hearts were categorised in terms of precious minerals she would qualify to be "A Girl With Golden Heart" for selfless love and service to the sickle cell community.

Arafa Salim is a 2017 Sickle Cell 101 International Sickle Cell Advocate of the Year recipient. She graduated with Degree in Business Administration from Greenwich University in 2012. Arafa is an example of a mother and a sickle cell patient and a true example challenging the taboo.

Arafa is a founder of the Sickle Cell Disease Patients Community of Tanzania, and has invested over 7 years on heavily crusading against the misinterpretation and misinformation surrounding the disease.

Under her leadership, the Sickle Cell Disease Patients Community of Tanzania has organized fundraising events, hospitals and school visits, charity walks, and blood donation events. You can find Arafa educating and supporting the sickle cell community across various social media platforms participating and engaging sickle cell community members .

Additionally, Arafa and the Sickle Cell Disease Patients Community of Tanzania have partnered with the Doris Mollel Foundation for premature babies to raise awareness. She is lobbying the Tanzanian government to sponsor free genotype testing for new born babies in the efforts to reach a sickle cell free nation.

Arafa volunteer her time as a clinic assistant supporting both medical staff and providing activities such as arts and crafts for sickle cell patients.

Arafa is a big believer in giving back to the community and has worked tirelessly with all media platforms including television, radio and newspapers to make sure sickle cell disease patients are not sidelined and stigmatized; often drawing from her own experiences as a sickle cell warrior to help raise awareness.