The cost of this trip for each volunteer is a tax deductible donation of approximately $1000.00 to Global First Responder. We will post the final cost for this trip as soon as possible.
Volunteers are also responsible for purchasing their international airfare. Volunteers should not purchase airfare before being notified by their team leader that the trip and dates are confirmed.
About the trip: Join Global First Responder as we travel to Mbour, Senegal in April, 2024 to provide medical and dental care, health education, and health and first aid supplies for the Talibés children and pregnant women. By focusing our time in one location, we will be able to see more Talibés and provide more comprehensive care.
While many Talibés (“students”) receive an excellent education in traditional Qur’anic schools and are well cared for, many others live under terrible conditions. These are the boys, 3 – 15 years old, that we will care for on this trip. We will provide much needed medical care, dental care, wound care, anti-parasitic medications, hygiene supplies, and first aid kits to these boys. We will also feed the children during the day they spend in clinic. In partnership with Drawing for the Planet (a 501c3 non-profit organization), we will also provide art supplies to the Daaras (schools) which will encourage creativity and help the children learn about the wildlife of Senegal.
Mbour is about 45 minutes from the airport and about 1.5 hours from Dakar. This is a beach city and our hotel will be on or close to the beach. All beaches are public and you will find many people swimming, exercising, or relaxing on the beach at all hours. Traditional fishing boats, generally friendly dogs, and sea glass will round out your beach time!
Pediatricians and Pediatric Dentists, Family Practice Physicians and General Dentists, Dermatologists, Midwives and Women’s Health Physicians, Nurses, Public Health Professionals, Paramedics and EMTs, and non-medical staff are especially needed!
Sustainability: With your help, GFR provides health education to all patients. In Senegal, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, GFR will provide anti-parasitics and hygiene supplies. We will also test and treat for malaria and provide education and needed supplies. In 2020, more than 600,00 deaths were attributed to malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prevention of disease is the most important care we can provide and a focus of GFR’s sustainability program. GFR will also continue to provide dental care and dental hygiene supplies and education. Our highly experienced midwife/women’s health team will provide training to rural health care workers in addition to examinations and education for pregnant women.
Check back for more information about other sustainability projects as we continue to plan this portion of our mission.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS TRIP BEFORE YOU APPLY: We want you to be prepared for volunteering and caring for others! Please read this section carefully and make sure that you are capable of participating fully in the following conditions. Our team leaders are for your safety and to ensure that the clinical experience is excellent for our patients and providers – they are not able to change the conditions you are working or staying in!
Physical Conditions: This trip requires moderate physical condition including the ability to carry supplies over short distances, withstand high temperatures, and less than optimal conditions in clinic, You will be traveling by bus each day. We recommend bringing your own supply of sunscreen, bug spray, anti-itch and anti-fungal creams. You can expect long days in clinic.
Food: Local food is often served family style on large platters – you will not get to choose what is prepared and 4-6 people will eat from the same platter. Think of your portion as the area directly in front of you. Meat, fish, rice or couscous, and vegetables are on the same platter. Meals served in restaurants will accommodate most food requirements and are served in a more western style. Meals are served late with lunches often served around 4pm and dinners between 8 and 10pm. You may bring snacks or other personal food with you to accommodate your own needs. Please remember you may also be asked to bring supplies sent to you by GFR when you are packing.
Lodging: You will be staying in a hotel on or near the beach on this trip. Each room has a private bathroom with shower, sink, and toilet; there may not be water available for showers at all hours or hot water. The hotel will have air conditioning but rolling blackouts are common and you may not have air conditioning at all times. Laundry is generally available at the hotel. The hotel
Personal Electronics: You will be able to charge personal electronics in your room, rolling blackouts permitting. Please bring a solar charger or extra batteries as required for your personal items for use in clinic.
Arrivals and Departures for the Medical/Dental Team: Please arrive in Dakar (airport code DSS) in time for an 8am start on March 24. The airport is located about 45 minutes from Mbour and about 45 minutes from Dakar. Your team will have a preparation day and some sightseeing on your first day. There will be 5 days of clinic, focusing on the Talibés children and pregnant women and a rest day in the middle. You may schedule your departure for late evening/night on March 30 if you need to get home but we encourage you to stay a little longer in Africa. Your trip includes an overnight on the 30th at the team hotel to allow you to say goodbye, get packed, and rest up before your flight home on March 31. Please see the “After the trip” section for some ideas to extend your trip!
What’s Included: This trip includes lodging, transportation, translators, water, and all meals within the official dates of the trip. Most clinic supplies and any special projects are covered by GFR but in 2024 your fee includes a $200 per person fee to cover the increased cost of medications and supplies. This added cost will help us continue to supply our clinics with everything you need to provide excellent care.
What’s Not Included: Your international airfare, snacks and drinks other than water, vaccines, pre/post trip travel costs and expense, trip insurance, your visa (if required based on your country of citizenship) and any post-trip adventures are not included in the cost of your trip. Transportation from the airport to Mbour and Mbour to the airport is not included. Taxis are available at the airport for a reasonable fare
Your international airfare, snacks and drinks other than water, vaccines, pre/post trip travel costs and expenses, trip insurance, your online e-visa (if required), and any post- trip adventures you wish to engage in while in Peru!
Cost: The cost of this trip is $1000.00 per person plus airfare. You are responsible for purchasing airfare that meets the required arrival and departure times. We always suggest giving yourself extra time for delayed or cancelled flights and that you purchase trip insurance from a reputable carrier. This trip is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. You or your donors will receive a tax receipt upon making your donation.
How is your cost calculated?: At Global First Responder we strive to keep your costs low and our quality high. We value your participation and willingness to volunteer your time and expertise. Everyone at Global First Responder is also a volunteer, donating their time to administrative tasks and paying their own way to participate in medical, dental, and construction missions around the world and here at home. The fee you pay covers the actual cost of your expenses during the trip, including lodging, transportation, meals, and translator fees and expenses. In 2024, we are adding a $200 general fee to each volunteer cover the increased costs of medications and supplies so that we can continue to provide excellent care for our patients. At GFR, no one is paid a salary and everyone is a passionate volunteer, doing our part to help drive our mission of “One Global World, One Global Family”.
After the trip: What is there to do in Senegal? Well – Goree Island is “the Door of No Return” where slaves were taken by ship from Western Africa to the “New World”. In true Senegalese spirit, the people of Senegal turned this sad place into an artist’s colony and a beautiful respite from city life. You get there by ferry. Take a day and go have fun – the art is amazing and for sale! You will find many guides waiting at the ferry to take you to the history museum, sand painters, and to tell you about the remarkable transformation of this island.
Lac Rose is also a day trip away. It takes about 1.5 hours each way from Mbour. You can see salt mines, swim in the salt water lake (the algae that makes the lake pink won’t hurt you), hang at a waterfront resort, ride a camel, catch a ride in a canoe, or simply eat great local food.
Have you dreamed of a safari! Our in-country host can easily arrange this for you. How about some beach time or some surfing? Senegal boasts the most beautiful beaches in Africa. In fact, you will be near the beach every day on this trip! Finally, Senegal is the door to the rest of Africa. Take a flight to Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, or more for safaris, culture, and everything you have dreamed Africa to be! Africa is a big place – take a few days to see more of it!
Click here to apply for this trip: I want to join the GFR team in Senegal!
If this is your first time applying in our application system, please create a login and password. You may use this login and password for all future trips you apply for (and we hope to see you on LOTS of GFR trips!!)
Sample Itinerary:
Prior to Day 1: Plan to arrive in Blaise Diagne International Airport (airport code DSS) so that you can get some rest prior to the start of the trip. If you arrive prior to the official start date for the team, please plan on having meals and lodging “on your own”. You will be notified of the official start time on “Day 1”. You will be able to overnight at the team hotel by your private arrangement.
Day 1: This is the official start of the GFR trip. Plan on joining your team at the designated time and location to meet with your team leader and team. Your team will spend the day getting to know each other, organizing supplies, and learning about the Talibés children and medical/dental system in Senegal.
Day 2:: Today is your first day of clinic. Your team will share the load as you pack the bus with our supplies and your personal guy before heading off to clinic. Clinic may be held in a local Daara, a public school, or a common meeting spot for the Talibés. Lunch will be provided in clinic but the Senegalese eat late so plan on bringing a snack if you need to eat at regular times. Dinner will be at a local restaurant on the way back from clinic. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Days 3 and 4: We will again travel by bus to surrounding communities where we will join our translators and health educators to provide basic medical and dental care and education for 100-150 patients each day. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5:: Today is your free day! You can choose to rest at the hotel, hang on the beach, take a day tour to Goree Island or Lac Rose, or shop. The day is yours to explore. Meals included: Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner, sightseeing costs, transportation costs, etc are on your own.
Days 6 and 7: We will continue to hold clinic for the next 2 days, traveling by bus with our translators and health educators, providing health care for 100-150 patients each day. In the evening on Day 7 (and again in the morning) we will say goodbye to new friends and thank them for their hospitality, hard work, and expertise. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: This is your departure day. Your trip with GFR sadly ends after breakfast. Your transfer to the airport is on your own. If you want to sleep in, schedule your flight home for later in the afternoon. Extend your stay for a safari, a visit to Goree Island, or see another country in Africa! Meals included: Breakfast.