Western Sahel Student Association: Thriving for Visibility

Part of being a college student means finding a community that creates a sense of belonging and welcome. At Ohio State, there are over 1,400 student organizations, however, some students still struggle to find a place to fit in.

Maïmouna Ba, a fourth year student in international studies and president of the newly-established West Sahel Student Association, said she founded this student organization in May to bring together her friends and others from the Sahel region. Ba said that Sahel is a subregion in Africa consisting of roughly nine West African countries.

"Sahel is the northern half of Africa, extending from Senegal to Eritrea," Ba said. "We all share a similar culture, religion, and history, and despite the divisions caused by colonization, our cultures remain intertwined."

Ba said she was involved in other organizations like the African Youth League but had a hard time finding people from the Sahel region at The Ohio State University. Ba said she initially had doubts about establishing the organization, but with the support of her close friends who also represent the Sahel region, she was able to take the first steps.

"I was really excited to get everyone on board and start the process,” Ba said. “I was nervous about not having a good turnout or people not showing up, but I was proven wrong after our first event, the involvement fair. We received a lot of love and support from external organizations as well."

Takko Ndiaye, a fourth-year in nursing and secretary of WSSA, said what sets this organization apart from others is their closeness. She said WSSA is more specific to the people from her country and the surrounding area, unlike larger organizations where it is easy to get lost in a larger pool of people.

“It's more tight-knit and focused on the culture of my country,” Ndiaye said. “With WSSA, I've met a lot more people from my culture.”

“That's why other student organizations, such as SSA and the North African student organizations, create their own separate spaces to avoid getting lost within a larger organization."

Ba expressed her desire for everyone to feel represented on campus and have their own space to be themselves. She commended Ohio State for supporting student organizations.

"I just want everyone to feel represented on campus and have a space to be themselves," Ba said."