Safe Birthing in Senegal for Giving Tuesday

The commune of Dindéfélo, located in Kédougou in remote South-East Senegal, serves approximately 17,500 people across 16 villages. The region is cut off from the urbanization and infrastructure improvements that have reached more developed areas of the country, leaving vulnerable populations, especially pregnant women, with limited access to safe delivery services.

The Dindéfélo birthing center serves over 500 women annually, but before this project, operated entirely without electricity. Women giving birth at night faced complete darkness, and the center lacked reliable water supply—water was hand-cranked from a nearby well, creating unsanitary conditions and increasing risks of maternal and neonatal complication.

What Changed: NEWBORNS SAFELY DELIVERED - 22.   WOMEN SERVED ANNUALLY - OVER 100      

Solar Electrication: The birthing center now has reliable, clean electricity powered by solar panels. This enables safe lighting during night deliveries, a critical improvement in a region with no grid electricity.

Clean Water Access: A solar-powered pump now supplies water from the nearby well, eliminating the manual hand-crank system and ensuring consistent, safe water for hygiene and patient care.

Since electrification in November 2025, the center has successfully delivered 22 babies with proper lighting and sanitary conditions. Many of these births occurred at night, when mothers previously would have waited at home in pain rather than risk traveling in darkness.

The mothers and community leaders tell the story of transformation most powerfully:

"It's as if us mothers are reborn". (Woré Sy)

"This is my third time giving birth here. And the second time at night. This time, I was able to see my child's face as soon as I gave birth and I was a lot less nervous because I could see the room." (Fanta Touré)

"This used to be a scary place we were reluctant to visit at night so you'd wait in pain at home, until morning, to come to the center. Anything bad could happen to you during that wait at home." (Maimouna Diallo)

Why these testimonies matter:

Before electrification, pregnant women faced an impossible choice: give birth at home without medical training or assistance, or risk traveling to the center in darkness. These testimonies reveal how electricity has restored dignity, confidence, and safety to childbirth in Dindéfélo.

According to local estimates, the electrification of the birthing center is projected to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by up to 20%, primarily by addressing largely preventable causes of death.

Safe Delivery Environment: Proper lighting allows skilled birth attendants to identify and respond to complications in real time.

Hygiene and Infection Prevention: Reliable water supply enables proper sanitation protocola.

Increased Facility Utilization: Mothers are now more willing to deliver at the center, even at night, rather than at home.

Equipment Functionality: Electricity powers essential medical equipment and ensures safe conditions for both mother and newborn.

"The Birthing Centre represents a significant improvement for women over giving birth at home attended only by family members with no medical training. The Matron and Nurse staffing the Birthing Centre have both training and extensive experience" (Karine Sar - West Africa Director Barefoot College International)

Community Support and Sustainability:

Local leaders recognize that this investment will have lasting ripple effects. By making the birthing center safer, cleaner, and accessible at all hours, the electrification project has incentivized women to seek professional care rather than resort to dangerous home deliveries.

The solar system is designed for durability and requires minimal maintenance, ensuring that the benefits of this project will extend far beyond the first six months. Community leaders and the center's staff are committed to stewardship and ongoing operation.

Looking Ahead:

Over the next six months, we will monitor and document ongoing deliveries, gather additional testimonies from mothers and healthcare workers, and track long-term health outcomes as more women utilize the center. We are also exploring complementary improvements—such as transportation support for pregnant women and expanded training—to further reduce barriers to safe childbirth.

Gratitude:

This project would not have been possible without the generous support of GlobalGiving donors and others. Your contributions have brought light—both literally and figuratively—to mothers in Dindéfélo.

Thank you for investing in a future where every woman can give birth safely, with dignity and hope.