Senegal

The Need

You will travel to one of the most remote and impoverished villages in Senegal and will provide residents with much-needed health care, dental care, education, and medications. You can expect to treat medical conditions related to malnutrition, poor living conditions, and dirty drinking water.

In the rural and isolated villages of Senegal, it has become increasingly difficult for residents to find reliable medical services. The people of these villages are high-spirited, hard-working, and friendly, but they all struggle to live healthy lives and to protect the longevity of their children. More than 20% of children in the country are malnourished, and one in 11 children will die before the age of five.

The focus of our clinic work will be the Talibé children who are often abused by the country’s education system. At clinic, you will treat children who have been severely beaten, have been forced to sleep on concrete floors, and have been forced to beg for the money they need to remain in school. You will also help patients with zika, malaria, schistosomiasis, scabies, lymphatic filariasis, sexually transmitted diseases, and bacterial and protozoal diarrhea.

IMR has treated thousands of patients in villages throughout the country where the demand for our services is always high. Because of this and other concerning health issues, International Medical Relief has organized volunteer trips to Senegal since 2002. Our goal is to provide support to increase access to health care in Senegal. Please join us as we return to provide life-changing healthcare and medical services to the Talibé children and the remote villages of Senegal.

Our Work

International Medical Relief first traveled to Senegal in 2002 and we have continued to work in Senegal’s remote villages. We have deployed hundreds of volunteers and staff who served tens of thousands of patients.

There continues to be many health disparities that exist between urban and rural communities in Senegal and these remote villages lack access to health delivery services. This is why these outreach programs are critical. We always seek to create a long-term sustainable plan for the success of the village and the different communities we serve. We have expanded across the entire country and supported several different causes, including the Talibe children. Today we continue to provide community health training, medical treatments, medical supplies and equipment, and clinic operations. On this trip, IMR will again focus on under-served population groups including the Talibe Children and rural villages. We’ll see many women and children on this trip! We will hold also clinic in distinctly different locations, including the first village that IMR ever served. We are so excited to go back, and Shauna will be sure to tell you the story on one of our conference calls.

​Our team will partner shoulder to shoulder with Senegalese physicians who work hard to reach the population​s most in need​​ with free health care. We have worked with these fine young doctors for years and have accomplished a great deal in our partnership. Our volunteers have learned a great deal from them and they have learned a great deal from our volunteers. We will also partner with other groups that are making great things happen in Senegal!

In rural Senegal, one way for children to have the honor of attending school is through the Talibé system. In the past, this system developed educated professionals in Senegal; today, the system has challenges and IMR comes to help those at a time of great need.  IMR feeds all of the children we will treat during clinic, pays their daily fees to their teachers, and provides them with vaccinations, deworming, acute medical and dental care, wound care, and most importantly sustainable health education.

With diligent planning and preparation, IMR is dedicated to ensuring that specific goals are met on our missions, each in correlation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3, 6, and 17.

IMR works to elevate vulnerable populations through shoulder-to-shoulder care with our local partners, creating workforce density, and a cadre of future healthcare and public health leaders in association to UNSDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing.

Our medical mission teams also work toward UNSDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation by supporting and strengthening the participation of local communities in improving their water quality, and installing water filtration systems that supply communities with clean drinking water and providing education on hydration and hygiene.

In correlation with UNSDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, our organization works in collaboration and at the request of local hosts where we are under their direct influence and affluence. IMR never goes into a country without a formal invitation where there is a great community need for medical or dental care, and health education.

This Mission

The Republic of Senegal is a bustling and colorful African nation and is one of the continent’s most popular tourist destinations. Famed for its rich music culture, lively streets, secluded beaches, and a large spectrum of wildlife, the country has something to offer every type of traveler. From dust-covered streets of the capital to vibrant and tropical mangroves along the coast, there are plenty of unique sights to see. Because of its complicated history with slave trade and colonialism, Senegal’s people represent many different ethnic groups and cultures. Senegalese culture is lively, vibrant, and welcoming and the country is now a beacon for African democracy. But, despite its strong democracy and reformed education system, Senegal is still struggling with social inequality and extreme poverty.

Lodging/Transportation

This trip is set apart by the variety of your experiences in Senegal. You will spend your nights in small villages with beautiful courtyards and excellent food.   Your transportation will be by bus.  You will visit two unique areas of Senegal: you will be in the city to treat the Talibé children and then immersed in a village for the second half of the trip.

Highlights

You will join your team members on a one day safari – get ready to have some fun!  Zebras, rhinos, and wildebeest, giraffes, and more are all possible sightings along with monkeys and many kinds of antelopes.  This will certainly be a highlight of the trip! The real highlight, though, are the local physicians who work with our IMR team year after year after year.  Working with these fine young doctors is the heart of sustainability – for IMR and for Senegal.  We’ll also be vaccinating our street children as we have for the past 10 years.  Joining us in the field in Senegal makes a difference.  Be The Good!

Extend Your Stay

You’re venturing around the globe. Have you considered extending your stay a few additional days to explore Senegal? Join IMR on an exclusive three-day extension! Rich with colonial heritage and many natural attractions, Senegal is known for its exciting safaris, nightlife, and historical museums.

• Explore the narrow streets of Île de Gorée lined with pastel-colored French colonial buildings.
• Discover the House of Slaves — a museum and memorial to the Atlantic slave trade.
• Experience the wildly unique Lac Rose, which is a pink saltwater lake.

See the Extensions tab on this page for details on these amazing experiences!

Itinerary at a Glance