Adekunle Gold, Pesa commit $20,000 to sickle cell organisations

The Adekunle Gold Foundation (AGF), a non-profit organisation dedicated to raising global awareness of sickle cell disease, and global financial platform Pesa have launched a $20,000 initiative to boost support for people living with the disease across four countries.

The foundation, established by singer Adekunle “Adekunle Gold” Kosoko, announced the “We’re Not Done” initiative in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday.

The programme will fund four organisations: Sickle Cell Advocacy Management Initiative in Nigeria, Not Just You in Canada, Sickle Life in Ghana and It Takes A Village in the United Kingdom.

The organisations will use the funding to expand access to healthcare, strengthen patient support, improve public education, and intensify awareness and advocacy campaigns.

The initiative will also provide resources to help the organisations build on their existing work and extend their reach within the sickle cell community.

“Awareness into action”

The singer said the initiative would support organisations doing the real work in communities, emphasising the need to back their efforts rather than talk about the problem.

The 39-year-old, who has openly discussed living with sickle cell disease and used his influence to advocate for the community, said “We’re Not Done” meant turning public awareness into tangible action.

He said: “We’re Not Done is about turning awareness into action. Incredible organisations are working every day to improve the lives of people living with sickle cell, and together with Pesa, we want to give them more resources to do that work and reach even more people.”

Pesa

Pesa’s Head of Global Growth and Marketing, Tosin Olaniyi, said the financial platform partnered with the initiative to support its launch and first impact cycle.

She pointed to the widespread impact of sickle cell, stressing that the condition affects many people in Nigeria and across the wider Black communities they serve.

“These are our friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Adekunle Gold has shown how a personal connection to an issue can become a force for meaningful change, and we’re proud to support the launch of We’re Not Done, an initiative dedicated to raising awareness and supporting the sickle cell community.

“Through our partnership with the AG Foundation and the other participating foundations, we hope to go beyond awareness and contribute to meaningful, tangible support for individuals and families affected by sickle cell”, she notes.

According to her, the AGF and Pesa intend to tackle the wider challenges facing the sickle cell community by bringing funding, advocacy and visibility under one platform and delivering measurable, long-term impact.

Backstory

This newspaper reported in June 2025 that Adekunle Gold launched “5 Star Care”, an initiative under his Adekunle Gold Foundation (AGF), to mark World Sickle Cell Day. The programme provided free, comprehensive health insurance to 1,000 people living with sickle cell disease.

The singer said the initiative covered routine consultations, emergency treatment, and long-term care, helping beneficiaries manage the financial pressure of the condition while improving access to quality healthcare.

READ ALSO: Why I get scared whenever Funke Akindele calls me for a job — Jide Kosoko

He partnered with researchers at New York University (NYU) to examine the damaging effects of sickle cell disease on carriers and the difficulties people living with the condition encounter.

The collaboration examined how music, storytelling, and other creative activities could support conventional medical treatment, improve care, and raise public awareness.

The initiative followed another intervention by the singer on 11 May 2024, when he organised a medical outreach in Lagos in partnership with the Sickle Cell Advocacy and Management Initiative.

The programme provided medical examinations, medication, and health management advice to about 250 patients, raised awareness of sickle cell disease, and supported those affected.