Our Ultrasound is Here!

We are so thrilled to let everyone know that Amie Ndaiye, our lead midwife, has completed her training and returned to our village as a certified ultrasound technician and our ultrasound unit has arrived!
 

Read more about the arrival of our ultrasound in the link below and subscribe to our newsletter to follow more exciting news such as this!

Our Ultrasound is Here!

First Dad in the Delivery Room

Well, we had our first father present for the birth of his baby girl and coaching his wife along the way…this is a highly unusual situation in Senegal, as it’s considered taboo for a man to enter the delivery room. 

Our birthing mother and her husband became inseparable, during her long labor and difficult delivery. He even spent the night with us at the birth center, keeping his fearful wife calm, as she was not open to any support from the women in her family or the midwives, through the birthing process. 

 

It was quite difficult for the midwives and I throughout her 36 hour labor, as she would not allow us to examine her–so we had to do a lot of guessing about her progress during labor. She did allow us to listen to the baby’s heart rate periodically during her labor, to assure us the baby was doing well.  

 

As a very young girl–like so many others in Senegal–this woman had female genital mutilation and was clearly traumatized from that experience, which made it difficult for her to trust anyone around her body and for her to give birth.

 

As time passed and we could see that birth was imminent, her husband was finally able to convince her to let us gently examine her, so we could assess her dilation. We were very grateful to him, as she was completely dilated and ready to give birth.

 

Note: About 60% of the females who give birth at our birthing center, have had some form of FGM. We are seeing a decrease, but it depends on which tribe the females are from. 

With our guidance, her husband took the lead in encouraging her to push and about 40 minutes later, she finally gave birth to a baby girl. The father had a big sigh of relief and gave us a huge hug, before sitting down. Then he promptly announced, “We’re only having ONE child!” This was a moment of comical relief, during these very intense 36 hours. 
 

Mother and baby were doing just fine after the birth and suddenly, the postpartum room filled up with several of her husband’s male friends, and we could hear him proudly talking about how he got to witness the birth of his baby daughter. 

Now, we don’t anticipate this starting a new birthing trend here in Senegal, but the midwives and I absolutely loved the fact that there was a father present with us in the delivery room, in such a positive way. This was a first for all of us and we do hope that it does happen again! 

Dads in Senegalese Culture.

Dads in Senegalese culture have roles that are unlike the roles of dads in other cultures. Because birth is considered a sacred space for women only, fathers do not attend births at all; however, they are supportive of their wives and children in other ways.

Read our newsletter to learn more about dads in Senegalese culture, by clicking the link below. Also, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to hear personal stories, stay up to date on exclusive events, and more!

Dads in Senegalese Culture.

Check out Jill's Local and NPR Interviews!

In Case You Missed It…

Founder and Director of the Senegal Health Institute Jill Diallo, spends the majority of her time in Senegal overseeing the programs, the new birth center, and all the work that comes with running a non-profit in a developing country. Nevertheless, her work in the United States for the Senegal Health Institute, is just as important in a different way…

Last year during her three month trip to the states in November of 2021, she was featured on the front page of the The Carmel Pine Cone (her hometown's local newspaper) and she was interviewed by NPR in January of 2022! Click on the hyperlinks below for her full interviews:

CHS Grad Opens Health Clinic in Senegal
From Carmel to West Africa: A local midwife’s journey

BIG NEWS!

We are very EXCITED to share some BIG news about what's been happening at The Senegal Health Institute!

The community of Kafountine has been in need of a new birthing center for many years: After 8 months of arduous work with a small team of people, struggling to find resources and materials (especially with prices that were skyrocketing), through a PANDEMIC nonetheless, we opened the doors to the brand new Kafountine Birth Center!

Our team, made up of all women, designed the building, drew up construction plans, and oversaw the project from start to finish. Also, over 50 new construction jobs were created in the process of building the center! Community effort at it's finest.

The center, which is a Ministry of Health approved facility, is now providing a safe, compassionate, and informative environment for women to give birth. Since officially opening on September 1st, 2021, we have delivered eight beautiful babies, and we’re currently expecting nine more to arrive any day now.

Within only a few months’ time, we are expecting to deliver 50+ babies per month!

The center currently staffs four midwives. We will be hiring additional midwives in the near future to help meet the high demands we will be facing.

The impact of our birth center will be astounding, lowering the maternal and neonatal mortality rate significantly in the Kafountine Region. Women can count on us for optimum prenatal, childbirth, postpartum and newborn care, along with the first childbirth education classes that have ever been offered to the women. We also provide stable access to contraceptive services.

We are so grateful to you, our donors, as turning our vision into a reality has been made possible with your support. We look forward to your continued contributions and words of encouragement. Your commitment to our cause is truly leaving an everlasting impact on the women and their families in this community of need.

Want to be part of our sacred community? Please join our private Facebook group - “RISE UP - A Sacred Journey with the Women of Senegal.” This is a group for women only. Jill Diallo, the founder of The Senegal Health Institute, shares her deep and raw experiences of life in Senegal as a midwife living in an indigenous culture and running her women’s organization.