Community Health Hut Construction Project - Senegal
Community health huts play an important role in health care in Senegal. A relatively small amount of money can have a great impact in the delivery of services to a remote village. Therefore, we remain committed to helping with the water and sanitation portions of any projects that make these health posts more accessible, safer and more effective.
Our first two health post projects have been undertaken under our Appropriate Projects initiative. They are:
- Thiewal Lao Health Post Well Project, under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Maggie Pavelka
- Fodé Bayo Health Hut Well, under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Amanda Wybolt
This project is for the construction of a new health hut in Southern Senegal. The plans were underway for this project when Water Charity joined on to complete the funding, so we are only helping with a small amount to be allocated to the water and sanitation parts of the construction.
Under the direction of Peace Corps Olivia Kenna, this project will serve the immediate health needs of four rural villages in the area as well as provide a place for dialogue about health issues faced by this community.
A knowledgeable community health worker will run the health hut, consult with patients, and prescribe medications from the village pharmacy when appropriate. In urgent or complex cases, patients will be referred to a larger health clinic in the area.
The community health worker, in collaboration with the Peace Corps Volunteer, will also conduct workshops on local health issues, organize monthly baby weighing days, and arrange visits by the health clinic nurse to the community health hut for vaccinations and pre-natal consultations.
The project will benefit 750 people.
The participating villages will contribute 3,000 red clay bricks made by hand from local sand and mud, as well as the help of a local mason. The community participation is 28% of the project cost.
The participation of Water Charity in this project has now been funded, through the generosity of Six Senses Resorts & Spas as a part of their Clean Water Projects initiative.
Any donations using the Donate button below will go toward additional water and sanitation projects in Senegal.
This project has been completed. To read about the conclusion of this project, CLICK HERE.
Conclusion of Community Health Hut Construction Project – Senegal
This project has been completed under the direction of Peace Corps Volunteer Olivia Kenna. To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK
HERE.
The project was to construct a new health hut to serve the villages of Foulamory Demba, Foulamory Yero, Saere Djiba and Saere Sawaly, in the Kolda region of Southern Senegal. Water Charity participated in the construction by providing funding for the water and sanitation parts of the project.
Olivia reports:
The primary goal of the project was to create a community health structure for the four rural villages where I worked, so that people would be able to seek timely treatment for their injuries and illnesses, and so that women would have a safe place to give birth assisted by a trained midwife.
The community contribution was to make the clay bricks to form the walls of the structure, as well as to carry water to the worksite and assist the masons with their work.
The structure was completed, and services were commenced. Olivia describes how the project was received:
The health hut is currently functioning extremely well, and the two mid-wives chosen by the community are about to start a six month training in the nearest city of Velingara.
The community will have access to immediate diagnosis and treatment of their health issues, and will be referred to the larger health clinic in the area for treatment of more complex health problems.
The community of Foulamory is very grateful, especially the women who now do not have to travel the 5 km to the nearest larger health clinic to find medicines for their children.
Thank you very much for your contribution to the project!
In addition to this project to build the health hut, Olivia also completed the Foulamory Health Hut Well Project - Senegal under our Appropriate Projects initiative during her service. She is looking to do another project before completing her service in Senegal
We are grateful to Olivia for the great work she is doing.
We again wish to thank Six Senses Resorts & Spas for providing the funds for this project.
