Tostan

Tostan ( Wolof for: breakthrough ) is a non-governmental organization that was founded in Senegal in 1991. Tostan has the goal - to strengthen communities and ensure their sustainable development - on the basis of human rights. Over 3,000 communities in West and East Africa have already participated in Tostans informal education program. Over the years this program has been evaluated repeatedly and perfected to match as closely as possible to the needs of communities. In 2008, the program of Tostan in 16 Nationalsprachenund eight African countries (Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti, Mali: 2009) performed. Participants in the program will be supported to make their own environment itself. They are doing knowledge from different areas: human rights, democracy, health, hygiene, literacy, management, accounting and micro- finance their own projects. The transfer of knowledge takes place in a participatory and respectful of the local culture, since everything is done on traditional African methods of communication such as drama, poetry, songs and stories.

Once you have agreed together on goals, program participants take their development into their own hands. They share their new knowledge with their family and friends. Thus they allow a far-reaching spread of the currently appropriated knowledge. They form regional and national agreements that allow the communities to take decisions regarding solidarity of democratic processes, the health of women and girls and of human rights. This is the beginning of a profound social change.

Formation

Even if Tostan was officially founded in 1991, its genesis already dates back to the 1970s and 80s. 1974 ended Molly Melching, an American college student, her studies in Senegal. She was a student of the historian and linguist Cheikh Anta Diop and is the filmmaker Ousmane Sembene and artists close. As a specialist in education in African national languages ​​and African cultures, she founded the first radio program in Wolof for children in Dakar. Following Molly sat down with a team of Senegalese traditional trainers on the Senegalese country. There they were aware: Many efforts in the area of ​​development aid remain without results because the activities do not meet the actual needs of the population.

The pedagogical model Tostans developed in the 1980s, while Molly Melching exchanged with village communities, cultural educators and intellectuals. They were under the influence of the theater of the oppressed and the African Renaissance. The Tostan education program was established in the village of Saam Ndiaye in the region of Thies. In the first period, the Program focused on questions of hygiene, health and management collaborative projects. The program takes place in the language of the population and uses traditional teaching methods.

The term Tostan to which it was suggested Molly Melching of Cheikh Anta Diop, observes, first on the dissemination and sharing of knowledge, on the other, a development that comes from the inside and from independent, unified, in their abilities stronger communities is designed.

The activities Tostans

The Community Empowerment Program ( CEP)

The Community Empowerment Program of Tostan is an informal education program that lasts 30 months and is divided into phases and modules. The CEP is aimed at adults and young people who often receive no or little formal education. It is carried out in the national languages ​​and would like to enable the participants to shape their own environment. Tostan calls to free themselves from authoritarian educational methods, the teacher facilitators ( one possible translation from English would be: mediators or promoters ) and the student participants. The facilitators live in the village, in which the the program, and belong to the same ethnic group as the participants. They use traditional methods of communication. The first phase of the program is called Kobi ( in Mandinka means: prepare the earth to make it fertile ) and includes modules on democracy, human rights, problem solving, hygiene and health. The second phase is called Aawde ( means in Fulani sowing ) and is dedicated to literacy, numeracy and management. It is based on the learning of the previous phase with the aid of interactive sessions and exercise books. At the same time forms Tostan in every village a Community Management Committee ( community management committee ) that you want to make sure that the community projects can be successfully carried out.

The program of Tostan

  • Holistic ( holistic ): it contributes to the comprehensive development of participants and their community by allowing them to draw up development projects in the community, implement and sustainable.
  • Focused on the participants and participatory: the program of Tostan binds both young people and adults in the implementation of common projects. Tostan provide the participants with practical information necessary for an independent organization of their environment. The teaching methods consist of interactive exercises such as group work, drama, etc. These methods are inspired by traditional African and modern methods of communication to ( songs, poetry, stories, dance, personal accounts, etc.).
  • Respectful and einbindend: Tostan works with the participants by listening to their experiences and ideas attentive. Tostan also work very closely with religious and traditional authorities together by absorbing their ideas into the program. The program encourages dialogue and consensus between men and women, young and old, social classes, ethnic groups, castes and religions.
  • Looking to the future: at the beginning of the program participants determine the goals for the future of their community. The acquired knowledge enable participants to achieve these goals in an organized manner. Instead of focusing on deficiencies or distribute value judgments, Tostan encourages the participants to reflect on and to rely on resources that are already available in the community.
  • Interactive: Tostan uses the feedback from communities and the participants to update the program modules and improve. In addition, the organization will be evaluated both internally and externally on a regular basis.
  • Sustainable: collective change, which are designed by the communities must be sustainable. Therefore, Tostan promotes the formation of democratically elected Community Management Committees, which continue the achievements of the program. The committees are formed by Tostan and also use participatory and interactive methods.

The results of the program of Tostan include, among others:

  • Formation of community management committees
  • Reduction of maternal and infant mortality
  • Enrollment of children, and registration of the newborn
  • Increase in coverage and the pre-and postnatal studies
  • Prevention of HIV / AIDS
  • Promote family planning and healthy eating
  • Cleaning and renovation of villages
  • Reducing domestic violence
  • Implementation of microfinance projects
  • Establishment of conflict resolution committees
  • Women in management positions
  • Collective abolition of circumcision and Kinder-/Zwangsheiraten

The abolition of circumcision on the example of Senegal

The most significant result of the CEP is the movement to abolish circumcision. This movement is supported by the communities who participated directly or indirectly in the program. Tostans strategy of capacity building, the promotion of human rights and health, is the result of a program that respects local cultures and is in a continuous research - and - action. As a result of this strategy is adopted by Unicef ​​at the international level and been honored by the World Health Organization as "best practice".

Mid-1990s, it was recognized by a research project, it is necessary to introduce a module in the education program that treats human rights in particular. This modification of the CEP, which took place at the instigation of the participants, launched a movement without equal. Whole groups decided to abolish circumcision, child and forced marriage together. For the first time this was done by the women of the village Malicounda Bambara (Senegal), who participated in the Program Tostans. These women decided to apply what they had learned in terms of health and human rights. On 31 July 1997, the village swore before a group of journalists and NGO representatives, circumcision, abandon child and forced marriage. Despite hostile reactions of the neighboring villages was the Imam Demba Diawarra, convinced of the need to abolish this for women and girls dangerous practices. He was aware that, however, can only succeed if all Bambaradörfer the region would be included in the discussion. After a long awareness-raising efforts, he managed to bring together 13 villages who wanted to put an end to circumcision. These villages were connected by marriage traditions. On 14 February 1998, a first public declaration was held in the entered several villages for human rights and health of women and girls. This event worked the professor Gerry Mackie ( University of California at San Francisco) in two essays on science, after he learned of the events surrounding Tostan in Senegal. One of the articles appeared in 1996, the second in 2000. His comparison of circumcision with the practice of foot binding in China made ​​it clear that an organized and coordinated abolition within a marriage group means a public declaration must be made. In fact, circumcision as well as the foot binding to a condition of eligibility for marriage of a girl can be in a marriage with each other forming group. Foot binding was practiced in China until the early 20th century. Foot binding and circumcision are social conventions. This change with a public declaration, allows the girls to marry, as it is also respected without circumcision and foot binding and considered a " heiratbar ".

This knowledge and experience made ​​Tostan and its partners, such as UNICEF, aware that the program must be implemented in a more organized form: the information on health and human rights are common in villages that are connected together by marriage structures. Here, a collective decision-making is encouraged and facilitated. In practice, the program is conducted in key villages and a total of sufficient number of villages to reach a critical mass in order for a social change can begin. Circumcision as a social convention is abolished. Girls are considered to have passed without this practice, as heiratbar. Experience Tostans shows how important it is to give the interconnected communities the opportunity to meet in a formal framework with local and religious authorities and discuss. Experience Tostans also shows that social change in relation to health and democracy is greatly accelerated if the individual communities know their human rights. In addition to this approach is the including the respect for the people and their culture is the key to success Tostans. Tostan used, for example, does not the term " genital mutilation ", but the word " circumcision " (female genital cutting in English or excision in French). For Tostan bears the word " mutilation " an underlying negative judgment. However, mothers want to save in the first place her daughters a future of their society. These women condemn as criminals, causes defenses that do not favor a dialogue.

Project talibé

In Senegal, thousands of children from their parents to religious schools ( Daaras ) sent to study the Koran. These are talibé, students of the Koran, called. On the basis of familial poverty of these religious students and the lack of financial resources of the schools the children are by their teacher ( marabout ) begging sent to support the daara. In the streets they are exposed to aggression, disease and accidents. In school they are partially beaten by her teacher if they have not begged the sum demanded. The talibé program of Tostan has two objectives: the first objective is to completely abolish the begging by the students of the Koran, the second, in the short term to improve the living and learning conditions of children. In collaboration with other NGOs, the Senegalese government and the marabouts Tostan encounters various activities: support of Daaras and their students ( construction of shelters, provision of soap, etc. ), mobilization of communities and the marabouts to secure the welfare of talibés ( support through micro-credit, training in the management of projects, raising awareness about human rights, etc. ) and sensitization of parents, the public and the government that there is a need to protect the rights of talibés.

Microcredit program

The micro- credit program of Tostan allows participants to apply their new skills in mathematics, literacy and management, they have acquired during the Community Empowerment Program to apply in practice. The goal of this program is to provide communities and especially women the opportunity to start small projects that are likely to improve their quality of life. Tostan provides basic knowledge in basic financial management, the ability to assess the feasibility of a project and then acting on it. The loans of small height are managed by the Community Management Committee.

Radio program

Since access to television and the Internet is limited, and the illiteracy rate, especially in rural areas is high, Tostan radiates since 2001, from a radio program in six regions of Senegal. Each region creates his own show, which takes place in the most commonly spoken language of the region. Each radio program that allows the participants in the program launched initiatives (public declarations, demonstrations for human rights, village meetings ... ) can be communicated and supported. They are also a means to villages and communities on important topics (health, hygiene, environmental protection, right to vote, etc.) to raise awareness. Consequently, the radio broadcasts behavioral changes and reaffirm the achievements by the informal education program.

Representations of Tostan

  • Tostan Africa: Tostan International, to take care of the programs and the coordination of programs, donor relations and public relations, has its headquarters in Dakar. National Coordinators implement the program in the countries where Tostan is present to. ( Thies in Senegal, Labé in Guinea, Nouakchott in Mauritania, Banjul Kolele in Gambia, Djibouti City in Djibouti, Hargeysa, Somaliland / Somalia, Bissau in Guinea- Bissau ).
  • Tostan Washingtion, DC: The Representation Tostans in the United States in charge of the relations with donors, international institutions, private foundations, English-language media, coordination of reports ...
  • Tostan France: The NGO Tostan France was founded in 2007 and supports the one hand, the activities of Tostan Africa ( search for new partners, placement of qualified volunteers, communication) and on the other hand, it drives the organized diffusion and the human rights movement among the African diaspora in Europe ahead.
  • Tostan Sweden: This committee, made ​​up of individuals and volunteers since 2004, dedicated to the search for sources of money and publicity to ( University, etc., culture) to make Tostans model in various regions of known.
  • Tostan Germany: An interest group that was set up by volunteers to life in 2011, and their goal is to make available information about the organization Tostan in Germany.

Partners and Awards

Tostan is influenced by various international institutions (UNICEF, United Nations Population Fund - UNFPA), bilateral cooperation ( United States Agency for International Development - USAID Agencia Espanola de Cooperción Internacional - AECI, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency - SIDA ), private foundations ( Annenberg Foundation, Wallace Global Fund, Wallace research Foundation, Banyan Tree Foundation, American Jewish World Service, etc.) and private finance.

2005 Tostan was awarded the Swedish Anna Lindh Prize for his activities in the field of human rights. 2007 Tostan was awarded the international UNESCO prize for literacy and the Conrad N. Hilton Prize.

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