THROWBACK TO 2022 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Marième Bamba is a woman in her fifties from Soudiane, a village located in the department of Fatick in Senegal. She is a very dynamic woman and mother of four children who used to work in agriculture and trade before Tostan arrived in her locality.
In 1999, she was the Coordinator of the Community Management Committee (CMC) and an agent of change for the Bambara communities. She travelled to the surrounding villages to share the Tostan experience by raising awareness about human rights, hygiene and health, and also about the abandonment of harmful traditional practices such as female genital cutting and child marriage. Having never attended school, Marième Bamba is a beneficiary of the Tostan Solar Project. She was one of the first women trained in India at Barefoot College on solar energy production techniques. The training lasted 6 months and equipped them with the knowledge and skills to install, maintain and repair solar panels.
Marième Bamba with Abdoul Aziz Sy, Program Manager of Tostan Senegal
By her eminent career, showing bravery and courage, Marième Bamba was able to take up the challenge by receiving the AWARD OF PIONEER WOMAN during the celebration of the International Women’s Day, on March 8, 2022 at the Grand Theatre in Dakar.
Marième Bamba and the Minister of Women of Senegal, Ndeye Saly Diop Dieng
The choice of Marième Bamba stems from the proposal of the Family Directorate through a participant in the training of partners at the Tostan Training Center (TTC) in Thiès. During this training, the participant heard about Marième Bamba, her background, and her accomplishments through discussions with Molly Melching and Dame Gueye from the coaching team. This training participant, a member of the Family Directorate, also had the chance to visit the village of Soudiane, which gave her the opportunity to meet Marième Bamba in person.
The Pioneer Women with the Minister of Women of Senegal, Ndeye Saly Diop Dieng
In order to magnify the commitment of Marième Bamba, she took the initiative and proposed her to the Direction of the Family to be distinguished with other women models by the Ministry of Women, Family, Gender and Protection of Vulnerable Groups on this day specially dedicated to women.
