For more than two decades, Friends in Africa has brought hope and healing to the people of Senegal by providing essential medical and dental care, food programs, and health education.

The Need Life in Senegal can be grueling. Poverty is widespread, and access to health care, sanitation, and education is often non-existent. Treatable illnesses and injuries become life-threatening when families cannot afford basic medication or care. Infections like conjunctivitis can cause blindness for lack of a $10 treatment. Cuts and burns turn into fatal infections. Infants starve when mothers—too young, too old, or too malnourished—cannot produce milk and formula is out of reach.

The Response Through Friends in Africa, Heartbeat International Ministries has partnered with Senegalese physicians, dentists, nurses, and pharmacists to conduct free two-day clinics in the slums and remote villages surrounding Dakar. Supported by volunteer teams from the U.S., these clinics have changed thousands of lives with medical and dental treatment, food distribution, and health education.

Building for the Future In 2022, Heartbeat broke ground on a community hospital in Senegal, a project that will provide long-term, sustainable medical care to families in desperate need. The hospital is anticipated to be completed in 2025, and we look forward to the incredible impact it will have on the community for years to come.

Our Commitment Although international travel has become increasingly difficult, Heartbeat remains committed to Senegal. Once the hospital is complete, we will transition from hosting multiple clinics and large-scale capital projects to sponsoring one medical, dental, and feeding clinic annually, ensuring consistent care that we can manage responsibly from afar.

Looking Ahead As Heartbeat focuses on programs we can directly oversee in the U.S., including Taste & See and our Farm & Rescue Sanctuary in South Carolina, we are grateful to continue walking alongside our Senegalese partners—sustaining vital care through one annual clinic, while expanding efforts to meet needs in our own backyard.