Senegalese Women Confront Debt and Poverty to Safeguard Their Health

A powerful storm has swept across Senegal's coast, leaving fishing boats stranded and women waiting at empty harbors. But the real storm these women face isn't weather – it's the collapse of international funding for family planning services that once gave them control over their lives and economic futures.

The fishing pier at Gueule Beach usually buzzes with activity as women wait for their husbands to return with the day's catch. Now it sits quiet, covered in broken shells and plastic bags. The recent storm flooded homes and kept the small wooden boats called "pirogues" from going out to sea. But for many women here, this temporary disruption pales next to a more permanent crisis.

Adama Faye, a 29-year-old rural woman whose husband works as a fisherman, describes life as increasingly fragile. "It's like an invisible hand is holding everything back. We can only wait," she says. When her husband uses industrial nets in deeper waters, he returns with barely enough fish to feed the family that day.

Faye works at a small local clinic in her impoverished area. She's among women who meet regularly with teams from Marie Stopes International (MSI), a UK-based organization that provides family planning and safe abortion services in 37 countries worldwide. The group visits her region every two months to provide contraceptives, protecting women from repeated pregnancies that threaten their health and drain their bodies.

"When a woman can control when she has children, she becomes more capable of working and achieving economic independence, without waiting for what the sea provides or help from men," Faye explains.

Funding Cuts Hit Hard

But this lifeline faces serious threats from reduced international aid. In the modest clinic's waiting room, women sit on simple wooden chairs listening to midwife Amy Mbaye, 28, who has run the health center for nearly 10 years. "The women here are true fighters," she says.

Most women in the area go through repeated pregnancies – up to nine or 10 times – often including miscarriages or stillbirths. The health risks pile up: severe anemia, abortion complications, and maternal deaths. Since abortion is illegal in Senegal, many women resort to dangerous secret procedures that threaten their lives.

"Everything here connects to the sea. When there's no fishing, there's no life," Mbaye explains. "We ask women to come for checkups, and they say they don't have money for transportation because fishing is poor and the house needs food." She confirms that MSI remains the only organization continuing to support the community despite weak funding.

In a country where more than 19 million people live under the weight of debt, poverty, and scarce resources, healthcare seems like a rare luxury. The local clinic itself struggles to provide basic supplies. Medical gloves are scarce, the building is deteriorating with water leaking from the ceiling. Yet it's the only refuge for about 28,000 people, including 7,000 women of childbearing age.

When Two Meals Become One

Kumba Ding, a 52-year-old restaurant owner, shares the same sense of hardship. "We used to eat two full meals daily. Now once is enough," she says sadly. Most of her customers now order "fondi," a porridge made from the cheapest ingredients, which she serves to men returning from fishing.

"My town is heading toward more poverty. In the past, people ate whatever they wanted. Now there's nothing," Ding adds. She remembers the 1990s fondly, when her fisherman neighbors would generously share their catch for free. Now she must buy fish at high prices to prepare "thieboudienne," the famous national dish of rice and fish.

Ding has seven children, with only about nine months between each birth. She says the continuous pregnancies without rest periods damaged her health – she now suffers from high blood pressure and feels weak. Six years ago, shortly after her youngest child was born, MSI provided her with a contraceptive device. Without the organization's help, she would have had to pay 20 British pounds for medical consultation and contraceptive costs – more than she earns in a full week.

"My life changed completely. I became able to work with confidence, got a 400-pound loan to expand my restaurant, and paid most of it back. I became stronger, cook more, and sell more," Ding says.

Program Under Pressure

MSI runs a British-funded program called "Integrated Sexual Health for Women," implemented in several African countries including Senegal, Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania, and Democratic Republic of Congo. The program had a budget of 60.9 million pounds for 2018-2024.

But the program took a major hit after the previous British government cut aid. Annual funding dropped from 30 million pounds to just 6.7 million, reducing beneficiary countries from 12 to eight and cutting the number of women served from 2 million to only 200,000.

Now, with Britain's new government announcing plans to cut aid budgets again in favor of defense spending, people in Senegal and other program countries worry about an even darker future.

The program relies on local volunteers in Senegal who go door-to-door convincing women and their husbands about the importance of birth spacing. In a community that depends on the sea for survival, it seems the waves no longer leave women with any choice but to weather the storm.

Government Goals vs Reality

Senegal's government has set ambitious goals for reproductive health, including reducing maternal mortality rates and increasing the percentage of women using modern contraceptives from 27% to 46% by 2028. But closing the gap between goals and reality requires sustained funding.

Dr. Amadou Doukouri, head of maternal and child health in the capital Dakar, confirms there are plans to increase resources for this vital sector. But he acknowledges local efforts alone aren't enough. "Even with local resources available, we still need partner support. This is ultimately about saving lives," he says.

Emmanuel Diop, MSI's regional director, points out that cuts in international aid, particularly from USAID, have left a noticeable impact. The American agency used to handle the bulk of family planning and contraceptive supply chains. When that support stopped, large quantities of these vital supplies ran out across different regions.

For women like Adama Fai, who has two children aged six and three, the stakes are personal. She wants a three-year break before considering more children. After learning about different contraceptive options, she can now protect herself for up to 10 years. Though currently unemployed, she hopes contraception will help her find new work, perhaps in sales. "I'm good at selling things," she says confidently.

The clinic serves 45 women and girls daily with some form of contraception, with most choosing long-term methods providing years of protection. An additional 18 women and girls undergo cervical cancer screening as part of the health services offered.

But as international support wavers, these women face an uncertain future. In a place where everything depends on the sea, the tide of aid that once lifted their prospects may be going out for good.