PROJECT-SUPPORT SENEGAL

Country / Location

Senegal, Village of Madina-Wandifa

Senegal lies on the Atlantic coast at the westernmost point of Africa. In the north and northeast, the River Senegal forms the border with Mauritania, while in the east, the Falémé River marks the boundary with Mali. To the south lie Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. From the Atlantic, a narrow strip of land along the Gambia river extends roughly 300 kilometres inland, forming the country of Gambia. The capital city is Dakar, a metropolis of over a million people and the westernmost city on the African mainland.

The village of Madina-Wandifa is located in the Sédhiou region, in the heart of Casamance — the southern part of Senegal that stretches between Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. It lies about 270 kilometres south-east of the capital Dakar, has approximately 14’000 inhabitants and covers an area of 14 km².

General Information

The Association senegalhilfe.ch has been committed to development cooperation with Senegal since its founding. It supports projects that contribute to the improvement of healthcare and promotes young people in their vocational training.

Healthcare
Healthcare provision, especially in rural areas, is severely inadequate. Hospital beds are scarce, which contributes to high maternal and infant mortality rates.

Vocational Training
Many young people and their families lack the financial means to pursue vocational training after completing compulsory schooling. The association supports young adults from low-income families so that they can complete their chosen training and later secure employment.

Beneficiaries

Casamance is considered one of Senegal’s poorer regions and is primarily characterised by a subsistence economy. Wood is harvested for construction and furniture making. Rice is cultivated in the alluvial plains of the Casamance River, while cereals, vegetables, lettuce, cashew nuts, mangoes, citrus fruits, and palm oil are grown on higher ground. Along the river and its tributaries, fishing and oyster farming are common.

In cooperation with the local religious order “Soeurs de Notre Dame de l’Immaculée Conception”, senegalhilfe.ch aims to establish a health centre equipped with maternity and inpatient wards, a laboratory, an in-house pharmacy, and staff accommodation. Operated by qualified medical personnel, the centre will provide the local population with excellent primary healthcare directly within the village.

Project-Support

Project: Construction of a Health Centre

The construction of a new health centre aims to significantly improve primary healthcare in the community of Madina-Wandifa and its surroundings. The goal is to ensure access for everyone to high-quality medical services in a suitable environment with qualified staff. The nearest larger health facility is located in the town of Sédhiou, about 45 km from Madina-Wandifa — a challenging distance given the limited transport options for transferring patients.  

The health centre will be built and later operated by the Senegalese religious order “Soeurs de Notre Dame de l’Immaculée Conception”. The sisters guarantee an orderly and hygienic operation; they already run four health facilities independently in Senegal. Construction began in October 2025, with the opening of the centre planned for autumn 2026.