Alaafia helps African immigrant women in Milwaukee who suffer from sickle cell anemia
A social club founded to help African immigrant women adjust to life in Milwaukee has evolved into a nonprofit organization that addresses not only the social needs but also the wellness needs of the city’s growing African immigrant community.
Ethleen Peacock founded the Alaafia Women’s Corporation in 2015 to support African women with sickle cell anemia, but she discovered that some of these women were also exposed to domestic and sexual violence.
“Most disabled women are simply not believed,” Peacock said when it comes to gender-based violence, particularly sickle cell anemia. “That’s the problem. That’s why it’s important for me to speak out, because I have a voice.”
Peacock’s own experience with sickle cell anemia led her to found Alaafia.
Sickle cell anemia is a life-threatening genetic blood disorder that causes frequent infections and severe pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease affects about 100,000 people in the United States, more than 90% of whom are black.
When Peacock, now 35, was diagnosed with the disease as a child in Sierra Leone, he was essentially facing a death sentence.
Her grandmother, who raised Peacock and for whom the nonprofit is named, rejected cultural practices that called for her granddaughter to be taken to a medicine man for healing and instead took Peacock to a hospital. But there was still no adequate treatment available for sickle cell anemia.
“I would be dead if she had listened to all those people,” Peacock said. “That’s why I’m still alive. That’s why I want to pass on this training because it’s important. It’s going to save someone’s life.”
When Peacock immigrated to the United States in 2013, she noticed a lack of culturally competent resources to help people with sickle cell anemia. She said she was denied medical services because her sickle cell type was not severe and she rarely needed to be hospitalized. That’s when she knew she had to do something.
It was a social club.
Peacock and three other women – all from Sierra Leone – founded the club to help other African immigrants navigate the state’s welfare system. But as the group encountered more and more women experiencing domestic and sexual violence, Peacock realized the club’s mission needed to change.
She has experienced gender-based violence herself. As a young woman in Sierra Leone, Peacock was attacked twice, including while working at a television news station.
“I just couldn’t take it anymore,” she said.
Here in Milwaukee, she met other immigrant women who struggle to report abuse to authorities. Many come from patriarchal cultures where they have few rights and laws are not designed to protect them. In their home countries, Peacock said, women are often discouraged from leaving abusive relationships or are advised by police to “take the problem to the family.”
“Most people are not aware that the same culture does not exist in the United States,” Peacock said, adding that women are also hesitant to ask police for help because of their immigration status.
“We’ve started educating people that their immigration status doesn’t matter if they’re a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault,” she said. “The system is designed to help you.”
When demand for services became greater than the association could handle, it became a non-profit organization in 2021.
Alaafia received his first grant from the state Department of Children and Families to set up a virtual center for victims of sexual violence. A virtual space provided privacy and made it easier for African women to seek help. Most, Peacock said, were reluctant to share their problems publicly with other women.
“As African women, we don’t want people to know what we are doing,” said Peacock, who also used social media to have open conversations about women’s rights.
As the only agency serving this population, Alaafia’s client base and reputation in the domestic violence field grew along with the number of clients and services offered. But those most vulnerable to abuse are immigrant women with sickle cell anemia, she said.
Sickle cell anemia can be a debilitating disease that can prevent a person from working and living independently. This leaves sufferers, especially women, dependent on caregivers and vulnerable to physical and sexual violence. Abuse can be emotional, financial or even drug-related, Peacock said.
She said it is important to reach out to these women and let them know their rights now that they are in the United States.
“If you don’t want to go to the police, that’s fine with us,” Peacock said. “We’re just telling you that there is a way out of the abuse. And we will find that way for you.”
This includes reaching out to local resources to ensure women get the help they need, including finding emergency shelter, providing gift cards for grocery shopping, or reassuring women that their spouse or partner will not stalk them.
Alaafia’s services have since expanded to include educating religious leaders and African braiding salons about domestic and sexual violence. Peacock also provides cultural competency training to social service providers to better serve African immigrant women.
Alaafia received a grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, which focuses on sickle cell research to determine the impact of the disease on patients’ lives. Another grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison funds health care navigation services, including assistance in finding and using resources, preventive care and mental health support.
The overall goal of the initiative is to get immigrant women to make their health a top priority, Peacock said, noting that most of them put their family’s health above their own.
“They do all the cleaning and cooking. They don’t take care of themselves at all,” she said. “When you have a chronic illness, there are so many resources available. We want to educate them about it. We want to show them how to navigate the system.”
Peacock would not be able to run such a nonprofit in Sierra Leone. For her, the American dream means helping victims of domestic and sexual violence and raising awareness about sickle cell anemia.
“For me, it’s a completely different feeling to come to the United States and have the opportunity to run this business,” she said. “It’s kind of a hope for people living with sickle cell anemia. I did it and you can do it.”
