Since we began, our human rights-based education program has reached more than five million people across eight African countries.
women have been selected into leadership positions in their communities, with many running for public office
people live in communities that publicly declared their intention to end female genital cutting
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
Watch and listen as a new generation of young women and girls talk about the impact of Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program on their lives and communities. These young women now feel empowered to speak and build their future with confidence; they are a generation of new leaders in full bloom.
News and Stories
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...
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Mayor Khalidou Sy honored with Local Leadership Excellence Award in Senegal
Tostan former National Coordinator for Senegal and member of our staff for 25 years, Khalidou Sy, was honored on Friday November 9, 2018, as one of the best mayors in Senegal at the Local Leadership Excellence Award Ceremony. He was selected out of 557 Local District...
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Choosing a World Free from Female Genital Cutting: Aissata’s True Story
This is the true story of Aissata, who was was cut when she was seven years old. Like many girls and women all over the world, she experienced the often devastating consequences of female genital cutting (FGC). Years after undergoing the practice, Aissata's community...
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