In many countries, it is still difficult for women with an illness such as sickle cell to get work. Overall employment levels in countries with a high percentage of people living with sickle cell anaemia, (especially in West Africa) is low. People living with SCD in some parts of the world find it much harder to get work than others. Women living with sickle cell in many countries in Africa have been left trailing far behind their counterparts in developed nations, when it comes to having employment.
Sickle cell anaemia is a disease where the normal red blood cells are round but for people living with sickle cell, theirs is the shape of a sickle and hence the name. This means they do not have enough blood in their system. The main symptoms of sickle cell disorder are anaemia and episodes of severe pain. The pain occurs when the red blood cells stick together, causing blockages in the small blood vessels. The sickled red blood cell can stick or clot together at any time, without notice.
I want to talk about the barriers that affect the average woman with sickle cell from getting a job. There are issues such as self-confidence or low self-esteem? How do we as women conquer these emotional self-limiting thoughts? Obstacles to employment can range from emotional, physical to social. Lack of confidence in their own abilities appeared to be a big barrier, including concerns about how employers might perceive them. This was from the result of a research undertaken about women living with disabilities and employment.
Other attitudinal barriers from disabled applicants can include lack of confidence in applying, having been rejected many times before on declaration of a disability. Or not believing in one’s own abilities, having been brought up in a society that equates “disability” with “not as good as others.” Another is fear of not being offered the appropriate support and being discriminated against.
Additional barrier is insufficient skills in “selling” themselves on paper or at an interview. And there are equally other ones, such as, the extent of a person’s own disability, lack of education or training, lack of transportation, and the need for special features at the job were among the barriers reported. These are just a snapshot of course – there are many more.
I have always been in favour of people pursuing their passion and women, especially women living with sickle cell being their own boss and being able to fulfill a need in other people’s lives. What does that mean in real terms? Well, American talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, stated, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”
Below are a few steps to pursuing your passion:
Dream big but start small: Trying to turn your passion into profit can be risky but it is worth it. The good news is that you can minimise the risks by starting small and planning carefully. This to me means if you have been able to raise a lot of capital at the outset, don’t put all the money in the business right away. You will make mistakes and learn from those mistakes and hopefully, still have money to fall back on.
Do research: Ask people questions if you can do so. Get into the habit of doing something towards this passion that you want to do. The more you get into the habit of doing something about it daily, the more the idea grows on you. Don’t rush into starting big. Start small and improve your product.
Break down your big goal into manageable chunks: When turning passion into profit, keep goals small and attainable. Break down your big goal into smaller steps. Take time to plan things out, don’t rush into things.
Focus on your strengths and outsource the rest: The most successful entrepreneurs who turn passion into profit focus on their strengths and find others to help them fill in the gaps. Not only is this an effective business strategy, that people who focus on their strengths are happier, healthier, less stressed, more energetic, confident, engaged, creative and agile, satisfied and experience more meaning at their new start-up.
Start with things you know you are good at: This will help you to be excited about your passion. In any job, there will be bits you like and bits that you don’t fancy at all. Yet, those unfanciful part of any job still need to be done.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes: Anyone who starts something from the scratch does not know from the outset how to navigate the whole business. It takes time and perseverance and that is why they say, ‘don’t despise the days of little beginnings.’ Mistakes are bound to happen. But if you take on the suggestions above, hopefully, they will be far and few.
Speak up and out: By this I mean ask questions and let people know what you are planning to do. You never know who would have a solution to your problem. You could be told something that you have not thought of, that would be useful to you. No one knows it all and so getting information and doing your research about what it entails at the start is important.
Ultimately, when we focus on developing our strengths, we learn faster. Remember being your own boss is a long journey, so pace yourself and look after yourself. It will involve a lot of hard work and sleepless nights but when you fulfill your dream, it will be worth it. There will be high and low moments however remain positive and believe in yourself.
If you would like to get in touch with me about this article or about sickle cell, do so, via email: [email protected] And do checkout my blog: https://www.dailylivingwithsicklecell.com/ My book on sickle cell – How To Live With Sickle and my other books are available for purchase on www.amazon.com
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