Make a Big Difference for a Village in Senegal, West Africa!

For 2 years I served as a Peace Corps Agriculture in the beautiful village of Medina Niemeneke, Senegal, West Africa. In December 2024, 20 years later, I was fortunate to return to my village and experienced the most amazing reunion with all my Senegalese family and friends. It was as if I had never left, and my love for them grew even stronger!

Though I can see that the village has advanced in many ways, there are still many vital needs that remain for this population of 5000. I discovered from my last visit that 80% of the Senegalese population is under 35 and desperate for work. The new Senegalese administration inherited a serious problem with a debt-to GDP ratio estimated to be around 118% which inhibits their ability to better build their country’s infrastructure. Though Senegal gained its independence in 1960, the history of colonization still has a tragic and significant impact of the lives of the Senegalese today.

Because of this current situation, many young people dream of finding work abroad and tens of thousands have drown while attempting to sail to Europe. I have even met a number of Senegalese and West Africans who have bravely left home to cross the Mexican/US boarder and are now in Denver working as night janitors at Walmart so that they can feed their families back home. The Senegalese government sees their young people as their most valuable resource and are encouraging them to stay home and find solutions but with little resources to do so. It is so unfortunate to see so much talent trapped in poverty.

After better understanding the current situation in Senegal, the village and I held a meeting to discussed projects we could collaborate on after all these years. They asked me to find the financing to assist in the construction of a health post and to build wells with solar pumps and hoses to increase production of produce in order to reduce food insecurity. Additionally, many young people asked for resources to buy equipment to start small businesses. The village was so excited to collaborate, that many of the young men hurriedly participated in making 800 bricks for the health post to get the ball rolling, though much more is needed to finish the project.

When I returned to Colorado, I began looking for grants to help fund these projects. Little did we know that many international development programs that were once funded by our tax dollars have been shamefully cut by the current administration with fatal and long-lasting consequences. I was disgusted at first (and still am), but I do believe in the power of community and grassroots organizing to make a difference in people’s lives. I have seen successes time and time again.

Hence, I would like to humbly invite the people in my lovely and caring American “village” to participate in the collaboration of projects with the lovely and caring people of my Senegalese Village. Every little drop in the bucket is so valuable and can change the lives of these hard-working people. I promise to give updates and share with you the beautiful culture of the Senegalese people. Thank you!!!!