Compassion
Leading with kindness, empathy and solidarity.
Nurturing
An initiative dedicated to women’s health, wellbeing and empowerment through accessible information and community support.
Discover Aafiya
About Aafiya
A healthier, more empowered future for women
Aafiya works alongside communities across Senegal to promote women’s health, wellbeing and empowerment through accessible information, education and community support.
Information
Accessible and relevant resources
Community
Stronger together
Empowerment
Tools for brighter tomorrows
Wellbeing
For women, families and communities
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Connect with Aafiya
We believe in the power of collective action to nourish community resilience. Connect with us to explore joint ventures and collaborative opportunities that advance holistic wellbeing across Senegal.
Get in touchAbout Aafiya
Rooted in meaning,
driven by women.
The meaning
behind our name
Aafiya (عافية) is an Arabic word that means good health, wellbeing and safety from illness, trouble or calamities.
Its meaning goes beyond physical health. Aafiya evokes a holistic state of wellbeing — encompassing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness, as well as a sense of safety, peace and protection.
This is the vision behind our name: creating conditions in which women can feel informed, supported, safe and able to flourish.
A future where women can thrive — in health, in dignity, and in their full potential.
Our values
Safety
Promoting safe, non-judgmental and supportive spaces.
Agency
Supporting women to make informed choices and shape their futures.
Dignity
Respecting every woman’s worth, voice and experience.
Equity
Working towards a more just and inclusive society for all women.
Empowerment
Building knowledge, confidence and opportunities.
Our approach
Feminism
Centering women’s rights, voices and leadership.
Community-rooted
Working with communities to co-create solutions and make decisions about their own futures.
Cultural sensitivity
Respecting local context, values and lived experiences.
Strengths-based
Focusing on assets and potential (ABCD) rather than deficits.
Evidence-based
Grounding our work in the best available evidence and lived experience.
We take a holistic, inclusive and community-rooted approach, grounded in these values.
Our Work
Healing with Compassion
Community-rooted support for women’s mental health and sexual and reproductive health.
Our Why
Experiences related to pregnancy, motherhood, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health can deeply affect how a woman sees herself and her place in the world. Whether it is an unintended pregnancy, difficulties accessing contraception, relationship challenges, financial stress, violence, pregnancy or birth complications, or the transition into motherhood, many women face significant distress that can affect their emotional wellbeing.
These challenges are often addressed separately, yet mental health and sexual and reproductive health are closely connected. We believe women deserve holistic support that recognizes the full range of their experiences, helps them before distress becomes a crisis, and creates space for them to thrive.
Our How
Healing with Compassion combines psychoeducation, peer support, community health workers and safe spaces for women to discuss the issues affecting their wellbeing. We work with the resources that already exist — community health workers, nurses, midwives, maternal health services and community networks — and strengthen them through training and task-sharing.
Our activities include:
- Wellness circles for discussion and peer support
- Psychoeducation on mental health, SRHR, nutrition and wellbeing
- Screening and early identification of distress, with referral pathways when needed
- Capacity building for community health workers and peer mentors
- Linkages to existing health and social services
- Community-led design and decision-making
Principles of the Initiative
Interested in partnering with Aafiya?
Building stronger systems of support for women requires collective action. Connect with us to explore joint ventures and collaborative opportunities.
Connect
Connect with Aafiya
We believe in the power of collective action to nourish community resilience. Connect with us to explore joint ventures and collaborative opportunities that advance holistic wellbeing across Senegal.