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
Meet the New Leaders of the Breakthrough Generation
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 social transformation in thousands of African communities.
News and Stories
30 communities in southern Senegal declare abandonment of female genital cutting and child marriage, following the Tostan program
A real breakthrough in a conservative region 30 communities in the commune of Linkering, in the Kolda region of southern Senegal, came together on Sunday, November 25, 2018, to publicly declare abandonment of harmful traditional practices, and show their commitment to...
read more
Tostan Sweden represented at the Swedish Forum for Human Rights
At this year’s edition of the Swedish Forum for Human Rights - the largest forum for human rights in Scandinavia - eight volunteers from Tostan Sweden pitched in to represent Tostan. One of the volunteers, Jonatan Arblom Sundblad, here reports on the successes of the...
read more
162 communities join the movement for abandonment of FGC and child marriage in Senegal
On Sunday 11 November 2018, a historic event was held in Goumbayel, in the region of Tambacounda, Senegal. 162 communities from the Bala, Koulor and Diankémakha districts - made up of Mandé, Pulaar, Soninké and Wolof ethnic groups - came together to publicly declare...
read moreJoin our Global Network
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
As you read this today, 50 communities in Louguére Thioly, Senegal are publicly declaring abandonment of female genital cutting and child marriage. In front of witnessing communities and local authorities, they join a growing movement of nearly 9,000 villages across West Africa who are championing a future of health and wellbeing for girls and women.
Learn more about our social norms change approach and the importance of a public declaration through this video by our partner Orchid Project: youtu.be/lE_gL7lG3Gw
#dignityforall #humanrights #TostanCreateFemale genital cutting (FGC) is a harmful traditional practice that affects over 200 million women and girls worldwide. Over 8,500 communities in West Africa...
“I believe Tostan is inventing flashlights so we can hunt for our keys in the woods. It is hard, and it is harder to prove its effectiveness. But ultimately it leads to the best outcomes for the world.”
On Tostan Stories, Elizabeth Van Nostrand writes about how our programs facilitate systemic social change for children, women and men across West Africa. The incredible positive changes our partner communities achieve are not always easy to measure, but with the support of strategic philanthropists and partners like the Gates Foundation, we are developing tools to show how the community-led approach has the greatest impact.
Check out her Medium blog: bit.ly/flashlightsandgiving
#philanthropy #gratitude #dignityforall
#ThrowbackThursday to 2011, when Harouna Sy, now the Regional Coordinator for Tostan in eastern Senegal, starred in this feature film: 'Futa, It Is Time To Talk': youtu.be/fN-2-dOjMaA
The film tells his story: The story a young Fulani man who returns home to discover men, women, and entire villages questioning and abandoning age-old practices, after the Tostan program.
Which groups could you share this film with? What kind of discussion could this provoke? We'd love to hear from you.
#FGC #childmarriage #letstalkaboutit #discuss Harouna SyFuta, It Is Time To Talk (Fuuta, Le Temps Est Venu D'en Parler) Harouna, a young Fulani from northern Senegal, is upset by the death of a close friend who di...
Today marks the end of another seminar at the Tostan Training Center in Senegal, and the last of 12 seminars that we have facilitated this year. The sun is shining as we thank the participants for their passion and dynamism, and wish them well on their journeys home!
www.tostan.org/programs/tostan-training-center/
-- C'est aujourd'hui que s'est terminé notre douzième et dernier séminaire de 2018 au Centre de formation de Tostan. Nous remercions les participants pour leur passion et leur engagement, et leur souhaitons un bon voyage de retour !
www.tostan.org/fr/programmes/le-training-center/
Tostan collaborates with religious leaders in West Africa, like Mohammed Cherif Diop. They join us to promote positive social transformation through our holistic, human rights-based education programs.
Watch the film: youtu.be/m9ouZWjASQE
Join the movement: bit.ly/TostanCreate
//
Tostan collabore avec les chefs religieux en Afrique de l'Ouest, comme Mohamed Cherif Diop. Ils et elles nous accompagnent dans la promotion une transformation sociale positive basée dans les droits humains.
Découvrez le film: youtu.be/1JKNWJCcHic
Rejoignez le mouvement: tostan.org/faireundon
//
#DignitéPourTous #DroitsHumains #TostanCreate #DignityForAll #HumanRights
JOIN US ON TWITTER
