Since we began, our human rights-based education program has reached more than three million people, resulting in:

Women’s Empowerment

women have been selected into leadership positions in their communities

Health

people live in communities that publicly declared an end to female genital cuting

Child Marriage

communities that have publicly declared their daughters will not marry before they are 18

The Tostan Model

Our three-year non-formal education program puts rural communities in charge of their own futures. We help communities develop their own vision for development using an approach that is:

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HUMAN RIGHTS BASED

Knowledge of human rights and responsibilities is the foundation for learning

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RESPECTFUL & INCLUSIVE

Information is shared in a non-judgmental way

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HOLISTIC & SUSTAINABLE

Program covers five key impact areas and has sustainability at its core

Latest Blog Posts

Chief Financial Officer

Organization Overview: Tostan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Dakar, Senegal and currently operating in six West African countries. Strategically, the organization is committed to continuing to develop its core competency of empowering education...

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PROGRAMS – Program Officer

Organization Overview Tostan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Dakar, Senegal and currently operating in six West African countries. Strategically, the organization is committed to continuing to develop its core competency of empowering education...

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Q&A with Tostan’s new CEO, Elena Bonometti

What is your background?  I am an Italian national. I left Italy when I was 22 to get my Master's from the Science Po graduate school in Paris. I had always been interested in the world outside of Italy and I seized any possible opportunity to meet people from...

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By 2022, Tostan has the ambitious goal to reach over 2,400 individuals and their communities through Tostan Training Center empowerment programs. Comment and let us know how the Training Center has touched you or your community! ... See MoreSee Less

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Tostan envisions a day when tens of millions of people and their families and communities have access to an empowering
education and can make positive change on whichever issues they face. #DignityForAll
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Thank you Amy Nantkes for your support! "The story of Molly Melching and the people of Senegal changed the trajectory of my career path. @Tostan is an example of the power of community-based development."
twitter.com/amynantkes/status/946425877411147777

But we think the best thank you comes from the women and men of Bambadou, in Guinea-Bissau. In this video, they sing in Malinke that they will apply what they learn through Tostan about human rights and responsibilities to improve well-being throughout the community. Bambadou is one of 150 new communities to join the Breakthrough Generation. It launched Tostan's three-year Community Empowerment Program in December. #TostanIgnite #Dignityforall
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Since Tostan's last program cycle, 9,647 direct participants (81% of women) gained knowledge on human rights, problem solving, governance, hygiene, health, literacy, numeracy, use of the mobile phone and project management. These skills are foundational to building lasting breakthroughs for women and girls in West Africa. #DignityForAll ... See MoreSee Less

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Some words of inspiration from Tostan Founder Molly Melching: "In this year of big moments—from our defining strategies to our biggest programs and from our communities’ most exciting results
to my own transition—I feel so deeply grateful for all of you in the global Tostan family. It is because of all of you in the Tostan family
—our facilitators and staff, our partners, our global mobilizers, our institutional donors, our volunteers, our sister organizations—
that we have accomplished so much, and see so much potential for years to come."
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