We are currently implementing the Community Empowerment Program (CEP) in 121 communities in Senegal, 20 in Matam, 20 in Kolda, 20 in Sédhiou, 40 in Tambacounda, and 1 in Thiès (Somone). Tostan Senegal also implements an adapted version of the CEP in 9 prisons in the country (4 in Dakar, 1 in Diourbel, 1 in Thiès, 1 in Kaolack, 1 in Tambacounda, and 1 in Ziguinchor). In addition, Tostan Senegal participates in post-CEP interventions: the Reinforcement of Parental Practices Module in 30 communities in Medina Yoro Foulah (Kolda), the Resilience Beyond COVID Program in Matam and Kolda regions, the Strengthening Democracy and Civic Engagement (SDCE) Module in 85 communities in Medina Yoro Foulah (Kolda), the joint UNICEF/UNFPA Program to Abandon FGC (Kolda, Sédhiou, Kédougou, Tambacounda, Matam), and the Fistula Project in Kolda and Sédhiou regions.

The Tostan Training Center (TTC), which opened to external participants in 2015, is also located in Thies, Senegal. At the TTC, we host international training courses in English and French on its human rights-based approach to community-led development.

The Community Empowerment Program (CEP) was first launched in Guinea-Bissau in 2008. Since 2008, a total of 239 communities have directly implemented the CEP, including 119 communities from 2008-2019 and 120 since 2020.

We currently implement the program in 120 communities in all 6 sectors (districts) of the region of Bafatá as part of Scaling Wellbeing. Scaling Wellbeing is a partnership between Tostan, communities in the Bafatá Region of Guinea-Bissau and the Regional Government of Bafatá. The program will be realized in 72 Fula-speaking communities, 36 Mandinga-speaking, and 13 Creole-speaking villages. There are 17 centers in the Bafatá Sector, 23 in Bambadinca, 19 in Contuboel, 20 in Cosse, 21 in Ganadu, and 20 in Xitole.

At the start of 2022, there were 8,740 participants in the Tostan centers in the communities, with 73% women and girl participants.

From 2013-2020, 90 communities have implemented the Peace and Security Project, including 30 communities 2019-2020 through the project: USAID Unaam Kayraay project with Partners Global. In 2009-2010, four CEP communities in Guinea-Bissau participated in Tostan’s Solar Power! Project, in partnership with Barefoot College in India, to bring sustainable solar energy to remote villages.

Strengthening the democratic space and civic engagement in Guinea-Bissau:

One of the most important support structures communities can draw on are their local government representatives. Tostan works directly with governments at the local, district, and regional level so that they better understand the needs of communities, and their responsibilities towards them. 

In 2022, Tostan conducted training with 83 local officers in Guinea-Bissau, reinforcing their understanding of their roles and responsibilities with regards to the communities they serve. 

We began implementing our Community Empowerment Program (CEP) in The Gambia in 2007, and we currently run the program in 60 New communities in the Central River Region (CRR) . Tostan implemented CEP in 203 communities in (URR) from 2007 to 2020. Over the course of 2018, Community Management Committees (CMCs) in The Gambia organized 600 community clean-up days and ensured birth registration of 644 children. Furthermore, 378 children were enrolled in school thanks to the efforts of the CMCs, and 265 women were selected for local leadership positions. In 2018-2019, Tostan implemented the Peace and Security module in 10 communities, through the ‘USAID Unaam Kayraay’ Project with USAID and Partners Global. In 2018, Peace Committees helped to resolve 57 conflicts at the community level.

In 2021, Tostan scaled its CEP in 60 new communities in the Central River Region (CRR) where CMCs comprised of 1140, of which 676 are women and 201 are girls. From March 2021 to March 2022, CMCs and communities efforts resulted in 1,393 children registered with birth certificate, 30 toilets dug, 60 CMCs got legal status as CBOs, 60 bank accounts opened, 1,877 community clean-ups, 1,648 trees planted, 72 improved cooking stoves made, 1,694 CMC meetings conducted on various topics. Our current partners includes FJSI, Tostan Canada, Dutch Embassy (The Netherlands).

Strengthening the democratic space and civic engagement in the Gambia:

One of the most important support structures communities can draw on are their local government representatives. Tostan works directly with governments at the local, district, and regional level so that they better understand the needs of communities, and their responsibilities towards them. 

In 2022, Tostan conducted training with 42 local officers in the Gambia, reinforcing their understanding of their roles and responsibilities with regards to the communities they serve. 

In Mali, Tostan first implemented its Community Empowerment Program (CEP) in 2009 in 38 communities (28 communities in Koulikoro and 14 neighborhoods in Yirimadio, a suburb of Bamako), in partnership with USAID Mali and NORAD, the Government of Mali, and local NGOs.

Between October 2013 and December 2016, 40 communities in the commune of Sirakorola, located in the Koulikoro region participated in the CEP.

In October 2017, Tostan Mali conducted the three-year CEP in 80 communities in Koulikoro, Dioila and Banamba. This was done in two phases, the first engaged 40 communities between October 2017 – June 2021. The second phase engaged 40 communities between October 2018 and December 2021.

To date, a total of 158 communities have completed the CEP in Mali. A new three-year cycle of the CEP was launched in January 2022 with 30 communities in the Koulikoro and Segou regions in partnership with UNFPA and the government of Mali.

From 2016 to 2022, 80 communities participated in the Peace and Security module. This has directly resulted in the active resolution of over 112 local conflicts.

Tostan implemented the Community Empowerment Program (CEP) in 40 communities in Upper Guinea. We are also working to reinforce the System of Child Protection in Guinea (SyPEG) through establishing, restructuring, and training community-level Child Protection Committees and Local Councils for Children and Families. The Community Management Committees (CMCs) in current partner communities form 10 CMC federations, which seek to better support development initiatives designed at the local level by community members themselves. Over the course of 2018, families from partner communities built 956 improved stoves. Thanks to awareness-raising efforts by CMCs, 880 children aged 0-5 years received polio vaccinations and communities organized 130 public clean-up days.

Tostan first started training partners in Nigeria in 2015. This expanded in 2020 with Tostan pursuing a wider partnership strategy with a range of international, government and Civil Society Organization (CSO) stakeholders to support the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) around common goals of decreasing violence against women and girls and increasing gender equality in Nigeria.

To date Tostan’s Introductory and Orientation Seminar has been delivered to over 100 participants from the NFWP, international institutions and the Nigerian government, as well as members of Civil Society platforms and Religious Leader Networks, working to end violence against women. Tostan also developed a follow up advanced trainings for some of the participants to help develop their approaches and learnings. 

Tostan first started training partners in Nigeria in 2015. This expanded in 2020 with Tostan pursuing a wider partnership strategy with a range of international, government and Civil Society Organization (CSO) stakeholders to support the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) around common goals of decreasing violence against women and girls and increasing gender equality in Nigeria.

To date Tostan’s Introductory and Orientation Seminar has been delivered to over 100 participants from the NFWP, international institutions and the Nigerian government, as well as members of Civil Society platforms and Religious Leader Networks, working to end violence against women. Tostan also developed a follow up advanced trainings for some of the participants to help develop their approaches and learnings. 

Tostan first started training partners in Nigeria in 2015. This expanded in 2020 with Tostan pursuing a wider partnership strategy with a range of international, government and Civil Society Organization (CSO) stakeholders to support the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) around common goals of decreasing violence against women and girls and increasing gender equality in Nigeria.

To date Tostan’s Introductory and Orientation Seminar has been delivered to over 100 participants from the NFWP, international institutions and the Nigerian government, as well as members of Civil Society platforms and Religious Leader Networks, working to end violence against women. Tostan also developed a follow up advanced trainings for some of the participants to help develop their approaches and learnings. 

Tostan first started training partners in Nigeria in 2015. This expanded in 2020 with Tostan pursuing a wider partnership strategy with a range of international, government and Civil Society Organization (CSO) stakeholders to support the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) around common goals of decreasing violence against women and girls and increasing gender equality in Nigeria.

To date Tostan’s Introductory and Orientation Seminar has been delivered to over 100 participants from the NFWP, international institutions and the Nigerian government, as well as members of Civil Society platforms and Religious Leader Networks, working to end violence against women. Tostan also developed a follow up advanced trainings for some of the participants to help develop their approaches and learnings.