Since we began, our human rights-based education program has reached more than five million people across eight African countries.
Women’s Empowerment
women have been selected into leadership positions in their communities, with many running for public office
Health
people live in communities that publicly declared their intention to end female genital cutting
Child Marriage
communities have publicly declared that their daughters will not marry before the age of 18
The Tostan Model
Our three-year, non-formal education program puts rural communities in charge of their own futures. We support our partner communities to define and fulfil their own vision for wellbeing, allowing them to create positive and lasting social transformation. Our approach is:
HUMAN RIGHTS BASED
Knowledge of human rights and responsibilities forms the foundation for learning
RESPECTFUL & INCLUSIVE
Information is shared in a non-judgmental and participatory way, using local languages
HOLISTIC & SUSTAINABLE
The program has impact across multiple issues, with sustainability at its core
Ndéye Fatou’s Story: Walk On My Own
In Walk On My Own, 13-year-old Ndeye Fatou Fall tells the story of her community in Senegal and the social transformation they have sparked to end harmful practices and ensure education, self-determination and wellbeing for girls and women.
News and Stories
Walk On My Own: A film about how Tostan sparks profound, positive changes for women and girls premieres during the UN Commission on the Status of Women
On screen, a 13-year-old girl is singing and dancing, her eyes bright with laughter. Microphone clipped to the back of her dress, she picks up her video camera and moves through her village to the next location for the film she is making. In the audience, now...
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Ndeye Fatou’s Story: Walk On My Own
In Walk On My Own, 13-year-old Ndeye Fatou Fall tells about the positive social transformations sparked by her community in Senegal for the health and wellbeing of girls and women. The public premiere took place on March 13, 2019, in New York City, coinciding with...
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Religious Leaders at the Forefront of Social Transformation
Since 1991, Tostan has engaged local religious leaders in supporting communities’ efforts to end violence against girls and women and create a new vision for wellbeing. These partnerships are one of many strategies in a deep and growing movement leading to positive...
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"Tostan is like supakanga (traditional okra soup): Everyone wants it, and once they have it they want more. That’s how it is if you do well and you have positive impact on the community."
- Saloum Kinteh, Senior Education Officer, Regional Education Directorate of the Upper River Region, The Gambia.
www.tostan.org/programs/where-we-work/the-gambia/
#Soupakanja #Yummy #RecipeForSuccess #DignityForAll
"One of the things that stood out for me at Tostan is the approach they are using involving the community members… you don’t have them coming to impose, rather they serve as a guide. The communities take charge and affect the change they want." - Ojimadu Peace Olachi, Youth Anti FGM Network Nigeria.
Guided by new knowledge of fundamental human rights, and supported in establishing their own action plan for sustainable development, Tostan's partner communities are empowered to make positive changes for improved health, education, communication and economic wellbeing. As well, our approach has led over 8,800 communities across Africa to publicly declare abandonment of female genital cutting and child marriage, and commit to women and girls' wellbeing! Find out more: www.tostan.org/areas-of-impact/
We share this approach with grassroots NGO professionals and changemakers just like Peace at the Tostan Training Center in Senegal, so that they can take it home to their local community and spread this global, grassroots movement towards #DignityForAll.
Thank you to our partners Orchid Project! #Partnership
Orchid Project
We sponsor activists and representatives to attend Tostan's Training Centre in Senegal through our Fellowship Programme.
In the video, Olachi Peace Ojimadu from the Youth Network for Community and Sustainable Development in Nigeria shares what she learned last month from Tostan's human rights-based approach to ending #FGC.
#TogetherWeCanEndFGC #EndFGC #EndFGM #EndVAWG
“In Africa today, more than 50% of the population is under 25. This is a powerhouse that we need to capitalize on. If we can reach this community of people, the future is bright - anything is possible.”
Young people in West Africa are achieving local breakthroughs every day. Will you support them, and join our global movement towards #DignityForAll ?
www.tostan.org/donate
#MondayMotivation #Youth #ChangeTheWorld Naima Dido
What a week at the 2019 Skoll World Forum!
As Skoll Social Entrepreneurship Awardees in 2010, we are proud to be part of this global family of innovators and changemakers. Seeing such energy, courage and ambition to spark change at all levels - from our partner communities at the grassroots, up to policymakers and organizational leaders - gives us hope that a future of #DignityForAll is possible, today. 🌍💪🌎
Enjoy the highlights from the forum on the video below, and sign up for Skoll's free Digital Pass to see plenary and session footage, behind-the-scenes photos, and blog coverage: skoll.wf/pass
#SkollWF #Inspiration #Education #SocialChange
The Skoll Foundation
Creative, ambitious social entrepreneurs and innovators gathered in Oxford for the 2019 Skoll World Forum to inspire and challenge each other to confront our greatest global challenges. We heard from community leaders, activists, social entrepreneurs, and innovators who bring a profound appreciation of our shared challenges and the courage to Accelerate Possibility.
Enjoy the highlights from this invigorating, inspiring, and unforgettable week!
By signing up for our free Digital Pass, you'll be able to watch all plenary and session footage, explore behind-the-scenes photos, and read extended coverage of some of the Forum's most thought-provoking moments: skoll.wf/pass
"Lorsque j'ai assisté à la rencontre intervillageoise tenue à Sabou Sireh, j'ai été émue et inspirée par la façon dont les femmes et les filles se levaient et se mettaient à parler pour se faire entendre. Ce que les filles ont démontré était tout simplement incroyable, et la façon dont elles se comportaient était si impressionnante. On ne voit pas ça dans notre culture.
"Tout ce que j'ai vu ici, je n'ai pu le voir nulle part ailleurs. J'ai voyagé dans toutes les régions de la Gambie et je n'ai pas pu voir ce que Tostan fait ici.
Pour être honnête, Tostan enseigne certains sujets que je n'ai jamais appris à l'école ou à l'université. Tostan a créé l'espace permettant aux gens de découvrir leur voix et de devenir des leaders.
Je suis heureuse de voir les gens qui ont bénéficié du programme, et on peut voir que les gens font de grandes choses après. Par exemple, la conseillère des femmes de Fulladu Est, ainsi que l'agent de la population et la présidente de la jeunesse de la région du haut fleuve.
Ce programme transforme des vies. J’aimerais qu'il soit étendu ou reproduit dans toutes les autres régions de la Gambie."
-- Fanta B S Manneh, Gouverneure de la région du haut fleuve en Gambie, parlant de notre impact dans son pays.
En savoir plus: www.tostan.org/fr/programmes/ou-nous-travaillons/gambie/
#DignitéPourTous #Gambie #Leadership
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