On December 20, 2025, Asawana Farms was deeply honored to be invited to participate in the Stronger Together – Sickle Cell Wellness and Transition Fair, a powerful and timely event organized by The Ruby Ball Foundation at the Pepco Edison Gallery in Washington, DC. This gathering brought together sickle cell patients, caregivers, advocates, researchers, medical institutions, and community-based organizations with one shared goal: improving quality of life and health outcomes for people living with sickle cell disease.
About The Ruby Ball Foundation
The Ruby Ball Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 to address the unmet needs within the sickle cell community. Since its inception, the organization has been a consistent and courageous advocate—amplifying voices that are often unheard and creating spaces for education, empowerment, and healing.
Through innovative informational sessions, shopping events with high-end retail brands, a signature gala, quarterly blood drives in partnership with the American Red Cross, and their impactful podcast, “Silent,” The Ruby Ball Foundation works tirelessly to break the stigma and silence surrounding sickle cell disease. Their approach is both compassionate and comprehensive, recognizing that sickle cell care must extend beyond clinical treatment to include mental, emotional, cultural, and community wellness.
Asawana Farms is especially grateful to Ijeoma Azubuko, President & COO of The Ruby Ball Foundation, for recognizing the importance of nutrition and culturally relevant foods in sickle cell care and inviting us to share our work.
Why Asawana Farms Was Invited
Asawana Farms was invited to present because of our ongoing commitment to the Food as Medicine movement—an approach that recognizes food not just as sustenance, but as a critical tool for disease prevention, management, and healing. Our work focuses on growing organic, culturally rooted African and Indigenous vegetables that have long been used for nourishment, strength, and medicinal purposes.
For individuals living with sickle cell disease, nutrition plays an essential role in supporting blood health, reducing inflammation, boosting immunity, and managing fatigue and pain. At the wellness fair, we shared vegetables we grow that may be especially beneficial, including:
- Ugu (Fluted Pumpkin Leaves): Rich in iron and phytonutrients, traditionally used to support blood health and reduce inflammation
- Okra: Known for its fiber content and hydration-supporting properties
- African Eggplant: Valued for its antioxidants and digestive benefits
- Bitter Leaf: A powerful medicinal plant traditionally used for detoxification, inflammation reduction, and immune support
A Sensory and Educational Experience
One of the most meaningful moments of our presentation was allowing participants to taste bitter leaf that had been specially harvested and dried for this occasion. For many, this was their first direct experience with the plant—not just hearing about it, but tasting and connecting with it. These moments matter. They help bridge the gap between research, tradition, and lived experience.
Our presentation sparked thoughtful conversations about how ancestral and culturally familiar foods can complement modern medical treatments, not replace them, but work alongside them in a more holistic model of care.
A Powerful Gathering of Institutions and Voices
The Stronger Together Wellness and Transition Fair was organized in collaboration with leading hospital systems, research institutions, and community partners, including:
- Children’s National Hospital (Washington, DC)
- Kaiser Permanente
- Virginia Commonwealth University Health (VCU Health)
- Inova
- University of Maryland Capital Region Health
- Genetix
- Ash Research Collaborative
Throughout the day, attendees heard from medical professionals, researchers, and—most importantly—sickle cell warriors who shared their personal journeys with courage and honesty. Presentations explored both current and emerging treatments, including gene therapy and bone marrow transplants, offering hope while also acknowledging the complexities and inequities that still exist in access to care.
Looking Ahead: Collaboration and Impact
This event was not just a moment—it was a beginning. Asawana Farms looks forward to exploring collaborations with some of the institutions, researchers, and advocates we met at the fair. We are excited about the possibilities of integrating farm-based education, research, and community nutrition programs into broader sickle cell wellness initiatives.
We remain committed to growing food that heals, educating communities, and working alongside healthcare systems to ensure that Food as Medicine becomes a respected and integrated part of chronic disease care.
We extend our deepest gratitude to The Ruby Ball Foundation, the organizing partners, and every sickle cell warrior who shared their story. Together, we are truly stronger—and together, we continue planting seeds of healing, dignity, and hope