Center for Combating Malnutrition
A healthcare facility aimed at reducing child mortality in the region
Baghere, Senegal
A healthcare facility aimed at reducing child mortality in the region
Baghere, Senegal
The Center for Combating Child Malnutrition is an innovative healthcare facility designed to address one of the most serious humanitarian emergencies in the Sédhiou region, which has the highest rates of child mortality and malnutrition. Located in the heart of Baghere municipality, it aims to serve as a reference point for care, prevention, and training, directly impacting the health of the most vulnerable.
The center will include spaces for medical and nursing care, hospitality areas for at-risk children, distribution of therapeutic foods, as well as training rooms for community nurses. The facility will be built using sustainable techniques, local materials, and with active community participation.
The goal is to provide timely care, save lives, and strengthen the local healthcare system, while promoting awareness and prevention through community education.
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Provide immediate medical care and therapeutic nutrition to children suffering from acute or chronic malnutrition, lowering the infant mortality rate.
Ensure a specialized healthcare facility for the treatment, monitoring, and nutritional recovery of the most vulnerable children.
Develop a training program for local health workers to monitor malnutrition cases in villages and educate families.
Raise awareness about nutrition, child health, and hygiene through educational campaigns and activities with mothers and village leaders.
— Sadio, Senegal
The Project
The Center for Combating Child Malnutrition in Baghere was established to tackle one of the most urgent humanitarian crises in the Sédhiou region: child malnutrition. The facility will provide medical care, therapeutic nutrition, shelter for at-risk children, and training for community nurses in a rural context where access to healthcare is extremely limited.
Located in the administrative center of the Baghere municipality, the center will be strategically connected to the N6 road and the Tanaff station, ensuring accessibility for neighboring villages and becoming a regional point of reference. Overall, the facility will offer dedicated spaces for medical consultations, dormitories for at-risk children, training rooms for healthcare workers, and recreational areas, creating a safe and educational environment.
The architectural design, selected during the Kaira Looro Architecture Competition 2022 and developed by architect Ziyu Guo, combines sustainable techniques, local materials, and community involvement. The goal is to build a center that is replicable, self-sufficient, and integrated within the social fabric, minimizing environmental impact while enhancing local resources.
The center will become a healthcare reference point for over 7,000 directly affected children and 15,000 indirectly under the age of five, ensuring consistent access to care, prevention, awareness, and community education. The facility is also dedicated to the memory of Simona Diebate, a child from the region who lost her life due to malnutrition, symbolizing the commitment to preventing further tragedies.
The center is designed with innovative and eco-friendly technology, based on the Rammed Earth technique, which consists of compacted and stabilized earth — one of the world’s most sustainable bio-architecture methods. This technique blends innovation and sustainability, and Balouo Salo is the first to introduce it in Senegal, particularly in the rural context of Baghere.
The over 40 cm thick compacted earth walls provide natural thermal insulation, keeping indoor spaces cool and comfortable even during the hot season, improving internal temperature by 10–15°C compared to outside.
Construction is carried out through community self-building: masons trained by Balouo Salo, local schools, women’s associations, and village youth actively participate, turning the construction site into an open-air training workshop.
This approach integrates sustainability, appropriate technology, social inclusion, and training, demonstrating that a healthcare project can be a model of innovation and environmental responsibility.
Community Involvement
Over 800 local volunteers including women, youth, and students have taken part in the works, contributing not only to the building process but also learning ecological and sustainable construction techniques.
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The Center for Combating Child Malnutrition will be managed by the regional health district in collaboration with the Baghere Medical Center, aiming to provide comprehensive support that is not only curative but also preventive and educational, establishing a key point of reference for the health and development of children in southern Senegal. The main activities planned within the project include:
The death of a two-year-old girl in 2020 prompted Balouo Salo to carefully study the issue and recognize the malnutrition emergency in the region.
The Center for Combating Child Malnutrition will be dedicated to Simona Diebate, so that no other child will ever die from malnutrition.
In 2018, the family of Balouo Salo’s founders welcomed Simona, whose name was chosen in honor of the wife of President Raoul Vecchio. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Simona contracted severe diarrhea caused by contaminated well water, which rapidly led to malnutrition. Despite hospital treatment 100 km away, the child did not survive.
"It is unacceptable that children still die from malnutrition today. I will not accept it, and we will not stand by and watch. Simona’s passing compels us to do our utmost to prevent other children from dying of malnutrition. The Center for Combating Malnutrition will bear her name."
— Raoul Vecchio, President of Balouo Salo
Street Sandinieri, Baghere
Monucipality Baghere
Region of Sedhiou
Senegal, Africa
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Until 2020, in the village of Baghere, access to adequate medical care and proper nutrition for children was virtually non-existent. The distance to regional hospitals, widespread poverty, and lack of infrastructure made nutritional and health emergencies a constant threat to the youngest.
The tragic loss of Simona Diebate, a two-year-old girl, highlighted the urgent need for intervention: diarrhea and malnutrition caused by contaminated water and insufficient availability of proper food made clear the necessity for a specialized center. This event led to the creation of the Center for Combating Child Malnutrition, dedicated to Simona’s memory, with the goal of ensuring no other child suffers the same fate.
Today, thanks to the commitment of Balouo Salo, local community involvement, and donor support, the center provides medical care, therapeutic foods, safe shelter, and training for community nurses. The facility stands as a true point of reference for the entire region: thousands of children and families benefit from vital services and a safer, healthier future.
The project is not just a healthcare center; it is a symbol of hope, resilience, and lasting change, demonstrating how local and international dedication can transform the lives of the most vulnerable communities.
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