Diaspora, faith, and science: Building a Mouride hospital in Senegal

Abstract

This article examines a development initiative spearheaded by the members of a transnational diaspora – the creation of a medical hospital in the holy city of Touba in central Senegal. Although the construction of the hospital is decidedly a philanthropic project, Hôpital Matlaboul Fawzaini is better understood as part of the larger place-making project of the Muridiyya and the pursuit of symbolic capital by a particular Mouride "dahira". The "dahira's" project illuminates important processes of forging global connections and transnational localities, and underscores the importance of understanding the complex motivations behind diaspora development. The hospital's history reveals the delicate negotiations between state actors and diaspora organizations, and the complexities of public–private partnerships for development. In a reversal of state withdrawal in the neo-liberal era, a diaspora association was able to wrest new financial commitments from the state by completing a large infrastructure project. Despite this success, we argue that these kinds of projects, which are by nature uneven and sporadic, reflect particular historical conjunctures and do not offer a panacea for the failure of state-led development.

Diaspora engagement: a scoping review of diaspora involvement with strengthening health systems of their origin country

“…Specific activities undertaken by diaspora organizations were varied, including short-term mission trips and humanitarian or disaster aid (eleven articles) [ 12 , 17 , 23 , 24 , 29 , 30 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 49 , 54 ], establishing partnerships for knowledge and skill transfer with the diaspora (nine articles) [ 14 , 15 , 18 , 31 , 34 , 45 , 46 , 50 , 52 ], emigration back to country of origin (eight articles) [ 16 , 19 , 21 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 33 , 47 ], improving research and training programs within the country itself (eight articles) [ 18 , 20 , 22 , 25 , 27 , 48 , 51 , 53 ], and providing financial remittances (five articles) [ 21 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 55 ] to the country of origin ( Table 2 ). For studies that cited partnerships or training programs, these efforts commonly occurred between diaspora organizations and local health facilities or academic institutions.…”

“…Many barriers to effective diaspora engagement were cited, most commonly financial need of the origin country (eight articles) [ 12 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 40 , 41 , 44 , 51 ], followed by lack of sustainable follow-through by either the programs or the origin country (six articles) [ 19 , 23 , 37 , 39 , 48 , 56 ], lack of structured and regular communication among the partner organizations and the origin country (six articles) [ 15 , 16 , 27 , 31 , 34 , 56 ], lack of general intention to return to the origin country (five articles) [ 21 , 26 , 30 , 31 , 35 ], poor infrastructure (four articles) [ 17 , 37 , 40 , 48 ], and concerns of political instability (three articles) [ 30 , 36 , 51 ] ( Table 2 ). When authors cited ‘financial need of the origin country’ as a barrier, they typically meant that diaspora organization efforts were too small or under-resourced to effectively impact the scale of the identified problem.…”

Staging Touba: The Performance of Piety

“…Some also engaged in prayer but others, although receiving pedagogic talks based on Bamba's writings, did not receive religious instruction per se. Especially due to high illiteracy rates in Senegal (42.8% in 2013 according to unesco), studying the Quran and Bamba's writings, is not always possible for certain segments of the population (see Kingsbury 2014, 2018, Foley and Babou 2010. Also, as Copans himself noted many talibés are farmers, thus 'it is naturally their principal occupation to tend their own fields' and those of their marabouts (Copans 1988: 127).…”

Easy access: new dynamics in long-distance African intimacies

“…In Senegal, overseas migrants, both individually and in regional or religious associations, have come to fill the vacuum of services left by the government. Senegalese migrant associations have been active in providing healthcare services to those abandoned by neoliberal reforms (Kane 2010), as well as participating in infrastructure and development projects at home, from building wells to building hospitals (Foley and Babou 2011).…”