Philipe Badji ’93 — Alumni Citation 2024
January 16, 2025
Dakar, Senegal
It’s no surprise Philipe Badji won the Dell Award for Peace and Justice his senior year at Wartburg, given the long career of service that has followed.
Badji worked for Senegal Lutheran Development Services, which began as a mission connected to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, even before he came to Wartburg. He returned to SLDS after graduation as an administrative assistant before advancing to chief of administrative operations, then administrator, and now director. During his tenure, Badji transformed the SLDS from a mission project to a stable and viable local organization. Under his leadership, the SLDS has expanded operations into agriculture and market gardening with the twin goals of providing food and economic security to participants in the program.
SLDS also hosts a library in one of the poorest parts of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, which supports the efforts of the Complexe Scolaire Nanondiral, a school that provides education to the poor with an emphasis on keeping girls in school as long as possible. Under Badji, enrollment has topped 700 students, and a program providing computer training was recently certified as a vocational institute.
The Rev. Karn Carroll, who nominated Badji, encountered his work firsthand on an ELCA delegation trip to Senegal. “It is incredible the work he has done in making the SLDS a success for the community,” she wrote. “From education to sports to finances to agricultural efforts, it is truly inspiring.”
In addition to his direct work with SLDS, Badji has founded:
- Action de Grâce to help parish members generate additional resources for church activities.
- Nanondiral, a savings and loan group for parishioners to get access to funding.
- the Evangelical Christian Community of Niambalang to provide spiritual, social, and educational training.
- the Amicale AGAPE to help members acquire decent government housing.
- the Comité Evangélique de Coordination pour la Santé to coordinate the fight against HIV/AIDS.
For his tireless efforts to improve his community and the lives of those who live in it, the Wartburg College Alumni Board is pleased to present Philipe Badji with an Alumni Citation.