I had the honor of being invited to join Africa Cries Out’s 2023 Senegal medical aid trip on behalf of Astra Biosciences Group. The esteemed Dr. Xu Jun, and many others who organized this trip have been traveling to Senegal as a part of this organization for over a decade, and have provided aid to thousands in need. To put it simply, this trip changed my entire perspective on the impact that a single person can have in the world, and continues to inspire me to also make a difference in the world. One of Astra’s goals is to spread awareness of scientific research and medical advances, and traveling to Senegal not just reinforced my passion for medical aid, but showed me the critical impact it has. Biomedical research and healthcare isn’t an abstract concept that one learns from a classroom, it’s something real and tangible, something that can change the lives of people across the globe.
On the trip, we visited a couple rural towns, driving over 12 hours from the capital, Dakar, out to a remote province to see patients. My uncle and aunt, both doctors, were busy the whole day, diagnosing and prescribing medications to the local townsfolk, many of which had been waiting since dawn to see a doctor. My cousin and I were tasked with staffing the “front desk,” a schoolyard desk or collapsible table that we repurposed, carefully writing down the name, age, and ailment of the patient. I’m incredibly grateful to the interpreters that we worked with, without their help we wouldn’t have been able to understand anything. Many of the local interpreters had learned English from just watching videos online or through self study, and knew how to speak in 3-7 different languages, like English, French, Wolof, and a whole combination of other local languages. Their drive to learn and to improve their own conditions through educating themselves was inspiring.
Seeing the hardship of the people in Senegal, many of which had chronic pain, malnutrition, or worms, illnesses that we couldn’t cure outright, was very humbling. In America, even though the medical system has its flaws, most citizens at least have access to a doctor or a pharmacy. In Senegal, all we could do was prescribe painkillers and give some dietary/health advice, since we were only there for a week and couldn’t perform any follow-up. In the most remote towns, our brief stint in the local meeting hall or church was all the medical attention they would receive until next year. Like a never ending river, patients with various ailments, that in first world countries would be considered trivially easy to fix, came into the clinic, and there wasn’t much I personally could do to help them except reassure them that a doctor would see them soon.
At the end of each day, there were still people waiting outside, their hopeful gazes following us all the way back to the bus. And yet, despite the hardships faced by people day-to-day there, all of the townspeople greeted us with smiles and songs, working hard to put food onto their plate. There’s a certain pride that the Senegalese have for their country, I saw the flag painted everywhere, and while many of the side streets of Dakar were made only with sand, and in the rural brushlands the houses have thatched roofs and clay bricks, all around me I saw the bustle and vibrancy of life. The children at each town would swarm us, hands outstretched for sweets or other gifts, and I wish I had brought more to give. I want to come back, equipped with more knowledge and capabilities so I can help others here to the best of my ability. There’s so much that can be done to help that the tasks seem overwhelming, but miraculously, by the end of each day, what needed to be done was done. The sudden and inexplicable unspoken agreement to help one another no matter what is rare, but in Senegal, it came naturally to me, and I found myself united with strangers because of our common goal: to help wherever we can.
It’s hard to imagine what our lives would be like without the medical and scientific advancements we take for granted each day. Senegal’s red dust and baobab-tree-covered plains are so separated from my own day to day life that it feels like stepping into a different world. While I had read about its history beforehand, like its time as a colony of France, its importance in the Atlantic slave trade routes, and its various ethnic groups, animals, and plants, no text could’ve prepared me for the difficult reality of life there. I’m grateful for this unique opportunity to experience and understand exactly what the final impact of medical improvements is for the common people. I remain deeply appreciative of the kindness of the doctors, pastors, and donors who made this trip possible. The logistics and intricacy of running an operation like this is deeply impressive, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this. A massive thank you to my uncle, the organizers for putting everything together, and the people of Senegal, for opening my eyes to the power of perseverance.
