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:
HUMAN RIGHTS BASED
Knowledge of human rights and responsibilities is the foundation for learning
RESPECTFUL & INCLUSIVE
Information is shared in a non-judgmental way
HOLISTIC & SUSTAINABLE
Program covers five key impact areas and has sustainability at its core
Latest Blog Posts
FGC Research Fellow
Organization Overview Tostan is an international nonprofit organization currently working in six African countries and headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. Our vision is “Dignity for all.” Our mission is to empower African communities to bring about sustainable...
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Organization Overview Tostan is an international nonprofit organization currently working in six African countries and headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. Our vision is “Dignity for all.” Our mission is to empower African communities to bring about sustainable...
read moreExecutive Assistant
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW Tostan is an international nonprofit organization currently working in six African countries and headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. Our vision is “Dignity for all.” Our mission is to empower African communities to bring about sustainable...
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Dembe Jawaara with @Molly Jane Melching in community partner Keur Simbara’s warm welcome to the Tostan Training Center’s 10 day Promoting Community Wellness seminar participants from around the world. #TostanIgnite #TostanTrainingCenter #Gratitude
Burry Kande, a Tostan facilitator from The Gambia, celebrates with the women of Saam Ndiaye, on a village visit during Tostan's 10-day Promoting Community Wellbeing seminar featuring representatives from around the world who learn about Tostan's community-led development approach. She's grateful to participate and learn thanks to a sponsorship from San Clemente and Abroad- Making a difference together, one step at a time. Thank you!
Burry has been a Tostan facilitator for 10 years. Just four months into the new Community Empowerment program she's leading in classes for adults and for children, she has already made a big difference- after teaching about human rights (such as the right to a name, a family, and a nationality) she's also working with the just established Community Management Committee - they've identified that 43 babies and children haven't been registered with birth certificates and the CMC is working with the parents to help their children register a nationally recognized identity - important for their kids' bright futures. #TostanIgnite #Gratitude
In case you missed it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqLL2JRW5g4
Learning from the community-led movement in West Africa to end female genital cutting and child marriage. Representatives working within communities in East Africa share their learning on how to take a holistic, community-led approach applying Tostan's methodology to empower communities to end harmful traditional practices after attending the Tostan Training Centre in Thiès, Senegal.
This film was created in partnership between Orchid Project and Girls Not Brides, with thanks to Tostan.
#TostanIgniteLearning from the community-led movement in West Africa to end female genital cutting and child marriage. Representatives working within communities in East ...
Today we celebrate an amazing woman, Marietou Diarra, former Tostan CEP participant who, prior to the program, had lost her second daughter due to complications from undergoing the FGC operation. Marietou became a social mobilization agent visiting communities where she has relatives who practice FGC and child marriage. By talking about her own loss, Marietou has led hundreds of women to share, often for the first time, the suffering they or their loved ones have endured due to FGC.
Traveling from village to village she and her team of four other dedicated Social Mobilization Agents have led over 200 communities to end FGC and child marriage through public declarations of abandonment.
#TostanIgnite
Each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 and at least 3.9 million are at risk of undergoing Female Genital Cutting (FGC) globally.
Watch this inspiring video, in collaboration with Orchid Project and Girls Not Brides, from activists gathered at the Tostan Training Center for its community-led approach: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGXKgB-4IHk&
#Tostanignite
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