LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Thousands of people in Senegal are getting help from Louisville.

The nonprofit SOS and Aesha’s African Baskets raised money and donations to send medical supplies to the west African country.

What You Need To Know

  • The nonprofit SOS and Aesha’s African Baskets raised money and donations to send medical supplies Senegal

  • The organizations filled a truck with $390,000 worth of supplies

  • The supplies are targeting two hospitals and a mobile clinic to help improve maternal mortality

  • The container will arrive in about a month

A 40-foot truck was filled with medical supplies headed for a neighborhood in Senegal.

“Today when I just got here, and I saw the container and I see the boxes cause I couldn’t fathom, like I know it was coming, but I didn’t know, like those boxes will be and I will be standing next to the container with the bassinets knowing it’s going to my neighborhood,” said Aesha Ndao, owner of Aesha’s African Baskets.

Ndao makes African baskets that she sells to raise money to buy supplies for her community.

“Baskets have multipurpose, and people love it here. So, when we started here, we was very people welcome it really, really nice and with the proceeds we was able to do a lot of social stuff back home in Senegal,” Ndao said.

This shipment is focusing on maternal health and providing equipment for a new delivery and labor ward in Senegal. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, the maternal mortality rate in Senegal is 315 deaths per 100,000 births. That’s over 14 times higher than the U.S..

“The hospital, the condition is very, very poor, as far as equipment as far as medication and with this equipment, the woman will not have to worry about paying for a fee to get service because everything will be there,” said Ndao.

Among the supplies are bassinets, IV poles and a hospital bed that will go to two hospitals and a mobile clinic.

“Putting a smile on this woman, because II know it’s going to be a big event when we unload this container back there and that’s a satisfaction, I get out of it, like me helping back my community and, you know, making their life a little bit better,” she said.

Ndao will be in her hometown when the shipment gets delivered in three to four weeks.

SOS said it reduced the maternal mortality rate in Ghana by nearly 25% in nine months. It said it’s hoping to do the same in Senegal.

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