Following the national day of mourning, which was determined on Thursday by President Macky Sall, the protest movement is organizing its own day of mourning this Friday, March 12th. Recent protests have left 10 dead, government sources, 11 according to protesters. The Red Cross, for its part, imposed a partial toll on at least 590 wounded. In this context, many young people volunteer to donate blood. The National Blood Transfusion Center in Dakar is always full.
This is the first time that Ndèye Fatou Mbow, 21, is donating blood. “It stings a little, but it’s okay. It is a civic act because it helps save people in need. ”
Ismaila, 20, even took part in the protests last week. “I saw injuries, it really marked me. That’s one of the reasons I came. ”
In front of the center, a long queue. These students responded to a call launched on social networks. “Since we do not have lessons these days, we came for the wounded, in the demonstrators’ camp as well as to the police. It is a peaceful contribution, one might say. ”
“It really shocks us, because here in Senegal we are young anyway, this is the first time we have seen so much blood flow.”
The National Blood Transfusion Center recorded about 500 donations on Tuesday and Wednesday alone, and it continues. An influx greeted by its director, Professor Saliou Diop. “We can only welcome this call from young people, although it must be acknowledged that there has been no real increase in the use of these events, it allows us to maintain our stocks and counter in any situation.”
The Senegalese Red Cross, which rescued 590 wounded, recalls that this toll is almost 4 times higher than the number of wounded registered for more than 3 weeks during the violence before the 2011-2012 election
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