How to Build a Health Post in the Desert

Two of the health care workers who will continue to serve their community in the new health post at Seno Bowal.

Access to health care is an essential component of our holistic approach to helping communities thrive.  When health resources are inadequate or inaccessible, routine medical needs can turn deadly.  This is especially true for pregnant women and their children. Senegal has the 47th highest infant mortality rate and the 35th highest maternal mortality rate in the world.  Fortunately, Senegal has a robust healthcare system with qualified doctors, nurses, and midwives who can drastically improve positive health outcomes for rural communities.  The problem isn’t expertise or personnel, it’s infrastructure, and this is where Andando comes in.

As with all of our projects, a new health post starts with a conversation.  We meet with regional Health Ministry doctors to discuss their needs, and together we identify underserved areas in need of infrastructure.  Next comes the first of several visits to prospective villages. 

We meet with women, midwives, and village elders (video above) to hear their stories and learn about their needs and desires for improvements.  Once a village is tentatively selected, we verify with the Health Ministry that trained personnel will be assigned to the post upon completion, and we sign agreements with the village for the use of land and water and their contribution to assist with construction.  

The health post at Seno Bowal will be replaced with a new structure with running water, electricity, and private rooms.

One of the health care workers inside the existing health post at Seno Bowal. The existing buiding will be replaced with a new structure with running water, electricity, and private rooms.

A waiting area outside the health post at Seno Bowal. The existing building will be replaced with a new structure with running water, electricity, and private rooms.

The excitement really begins when we secure funding and can start construction.  We are currently building a new post in the community of Seno Bowal which is funded 100% by a generous donation from Hub City Church.  They have sponsored many of our health posts and we cannot thank them enough for their continued support!

Delivery of construction materials such as concrete and rebar to the new building site for the Seno Bowal Health Post.

Water for mixing concrete has to be brought in by donkey cart until the site can be plumbed.

Bricks are formed and cured on-site. These will be used for the foundation and walls of the Seno Bowal Health Post.

We are still in the initial phase of building bricks and laying the foundation, but in just a few short months this post will have running water, electricity, multiple rooms for consultation, delivery and recovery, and will be a game changer for access to medical care for 12 villages with over 4,000 people. We will keep you updated as construction finishes and all the benefits to the village and surrounding areas start to come to fruition.