Equipment handed over for mental health care at UGB
One month after the launch of mental health promotion activities, Her Excellency the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Senegal handed over a batch of equipment to the Mental Health Unit of Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis on 12 November 2025. This concrete gesture strengthens the university's capacity to provide psychological care.
On 12 November 2025, Her Excellency the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Senegal visited Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis to officially hand over a batch of equipment to the Mental Health Unit of the Faculty of Education, Training and Sport Sciences (UFR-SEFS).
The donation follows observations made at the launch of mental health and human capital promotion activities held on 9 and 10 October 2025 for World Mental Health Day. On that occasion, the Representative identified the major challenges the Unit faces in effectively supporting the university community.
The donation from the ECOWAS Resident Representation includes a batch of specialised mental health care equipment. It will enable the UGB Mental Health Unit to strengthen its capacity in several areas:
- Promoting psychological well-being: support for students and university staff
- Preventing psychosocial risks: early detection and intervention
- Training neighbourhood godmothers: building the skills of community workers who provide psycho-educational support locally
In addition to the equipment, ECOWAS also funded awareness brochures to inform the university community and surrounding populations about mental health issues.
Beyond Gaston Berger University, this support will also benefit the neighbourhood godmothers who play a vital role in psycho-educational support at community level. These women act as local relays, providing a valuable link between mental health services and the people of Saint-Louis’s neighbourhoods.
By strengthening their capacity through training and awareness tools, ECOWAS helps extend the impact of mental health promotion well beyond the campus.
This donation illustrates ECOWAS’s concrete commitment to human capital development in Senegal. By investing in the mental health of young people and communities, the West African Community helps build a more resilient society, better equipped to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
“This action is part of our mission to stay close to the Senegalese people and to support initiatives that contribute to collective well-being,” the ECOWAS Resident Representation stressed.
Since October 2025, the ECOWAS Resident Representation in Senegal has carried out a series of actions in the Saint-Louis region, including:
- 8 October 2025: courtesy visit to the Regional Universal Health Coverage Agency (SEN-CSU)
- 9-10 October 2025: participation in the launch of mental health promotion activities at UGB
- 12 November 2025: donation of equipment to the UGB Mental Health Unit
This series of initiatives reflects ECOWAS’s determination to be an active and responsive partner in supporting Senegal towards its development goals.
“During our visit in October, we saw the challenges facing the UGB Mental Health Unit. It was our duty to take concrete action to support these dedicated professionals who work every day for the well-being of Senegalese youth.”
