Marie Senghor Basse (1930-2019), full name Marie-Thérèse Camille Senghor Basse, was a
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
ese
physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
who led the ''Centre de protection maternelle et infantile'' (Maternal and Child Protection Center). Basse represented Senegal at the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
(FAO) and directed the Institute of Food Technology.
Early life
Basse was the niece of the first Senegalese Head of State. Basse graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Paris in 1957.
Career
In 1958, Basse was assigned to the Bally Hospital in
Conakry
Conakry (; ; sus, Kɔnakiri; N’ko: ߞߐߣߊߞߙߌ߫, Fula: ''Konaakiri'' 𞤑𞤮𞤲𞤢𞥄𞤳𞤭𞤪𞤭) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its p ...
, then transferred to the medical district of
Boké
Boké is the capital city of Boké Prefecture within the Boké Region of Lower Guinea near the border with Guinea-Bissau. It is also a sub-prefecture of Guinea. Located along the Rio Nuñez which flows to its not-too-distant mouth on the Atla ...
.
After residing in
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
for two years, Basse returned to Senegal, where she was in charge of directing the Maternal and Child Protection Center. Later in Italy, she served as Senegal's permanent representative to the
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
of the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
(FAO) from 1961 to 1966. There she worked alongside her husband Edouard Camille Basse, the Senegalese ambassador to Italy.
Upon the couple's return to Senegal, Basse was assigned as a medical inspector to the Dakar Medical School for two years. In 1968, she was appointed director of Senegal's ''l'Institut de Technologie Alimentaire'' (Institute of Food Technology) where she researched the processing of
fruits
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particula ...
,
vegetables
Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...
,
grains
A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legumes ...
, and animal products. Basse was frequently seen on
Senegalese national television (ORTS) promoting "
local consumption" of foods. This was done by changing behaviour and eating habits. She showed women and households healthy ways to consume local products such as ''pamiblé'' bread, corn or millet cakes, concentrated juices of local produce such as ''bissap'' and ''maad'', and beef charcuterie.
In 1981, Basse joined Prime Minister
's office as a technical advisor.
At the age of 51, Basse enrolled in the Dakar Business Management School (succeeded by the modern
CESAG) and earned an MBA degree in business management (DESGE) in 1983. That year, she joined President
Abdou Diouf's office as a technical advisor, an office she held for two years.
Basse was a founding member of the Senegalese section of the African Cultural Community, an organization founded by
Wole Soyinka
Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...
that seeks to aid African intellectuals and artists in adapting to the unique challenges of the modern era.
Death
Basse died in 2019.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Senghor Basse, Marie
Senegalese physicians
Senegalese women physicians
1930 births
2019 deaths