Women from the village of Seno Bowal celebrating the grand opening of the health post.
Seno Bowal is open for business! This past May we had the immense pleasure of witnessing the inauguration of our Seno Bowal health post, Andando’s 14th overall.
Seno Bowal is a remote village in the northern region of Senegal. Accessible only by driving off the highway and then 8 miles into the desert on sand paths, the remoteness of this community really comes into focus.
Driving off the highway and then 20 kilometers (8 miles) into the desert on sand paths, the remoteness of this community really comes into focus. We actually ended up passing the village because the paths had changed since our last visit, showing just how tenuous and unpredictable travel in this environment can be.
We eventually found our way and when we arrived were greeted by a beautiful site, a crowd of cheering women in front of a gorgeous new health post: the bright sturdy structure seeming to stand proudly in stark contrast to the cracked and dilapidated hut that it replaced.
Mane Fall, a mother and member of the village, shared with us the reality and risk of giving birth before the health post was completed.
The women of the village rolled out brightly colored mats and started playing traditional drums and soon the spontaneous dance party began. The joy of this moment was palpable as the women laughed and sang, continually trying to one-up each other’s dance moves.
During the planning and construction process for this health post we heard countless testimonials of the difficulties women in Seno Bowal and the surrounding villages face when seeking healthcare. They opened up to us saying how hard it is to travel by donkey cart to the local hospital while in labor, or about giving birth in the dark without any electricity or running water, and even about the loved ones who they had lost because they weren’t able to get the care that they needed. The exuberance of this moment seems to be joyful manifestation of relief, that hopefully life will be just a little bit easier from now on.
The new health post includes clean running water. Something so vital that we easily take for granted.
After the initial celebration died down, we were treated to a tour of the new health post. We saw the consultation room, the private delivery and recovery rooms, and got to wash our hands with clean running water; something so vital that we easily take for granted.
Sitting down with the community to hear how they are already using the post for community health outreach and primary care.
We then sat down for a meeting with the community where they told us how they are already using the post for community health outreach activities and primary care treatments. It speaks volumes to this community’s dedication and enthusiasm that as soon as the paint was dry, they opened the doors and started seeing patients. In fact the first healthy baby was born here just a few weeks after our visit!
The Andando team standing out side the completed Seno Bowal Health Post with the head nurse.
We congratulate the entire community and everyone who helped us to make this possible. Here's to a healthier, happier Seno Bowal! As we move forward, Andando will continue to work with the community to ensure the sustainability of this health post. We’ll help train the staff and organize community health programs. We remain committed to improving access to quality healthcare for the people of Seno Bowal and other similar communities. This may be our 14th health post, but each one has its own unique story, and we are excited to share more stories of other communities in need as we continue to expand our rural healthcare initiatives.