Our Approach

 
Tostan has dedicated itself to responding to input from the communities we serve. Through a constant process of feedback and evaluation, Tostan has developed the Community Empowerment Program (CEP) into a uniquely effective means to facilitate development and transformative social change. The following characteristics have been fundamental to the success of the program:
  
 
Holistic
The program is comprehensive, including modules on democracy, human rights, problem solving, hygiene, health, literacy, and management skills. This curriculum introduces communities to new perspectives with which to frame their goals while also teaching the skills and building the capacity they will need to put those goals into action. Tostan believes that effective education must meet the needs of its participants on numerous levels, enabling communities not only to understand and evaluate the challenges they face but also to actively address them. As such, Tostan’s program contributes to the overall development of participants as they engage with their community in designing, carrying out, and sustaining community-led activities.
 
 
Learner-centered and Participatory
Tostan’s teaching methods consist of interactive exercises, such as small-group work, case studies, and action-based research projects. These methods draw on modern education techniques as well as traditional African oral traditions, including theatre, storytelling, dance, artwork, song, debate, and the sharing of personal experience. By presenting information in ways that are relevant and engaging, Tostan ensures that the lessons will resonate and that new ideas will take hold quickly. The CEP creates an environment of participation and dialogue, framing the lessons in a way that speaks to participants’ experiences and encourages them to contribute their own unique perspectives and insights. This emphasis on participation is crucial, as it ensures that all participants play an integral and active role both in their own education and the development of their community.
 
 
Respectful and Inclusive
Tostan works with learners, listening carefully to their experiences and ideas.  It also listens to and works closely with religious and village leaders, incorporating their ideas into the program. The program encourages dialogue and consensus among members of all groups: women and men, elders and youth, different social classes, ethnic groups, and religions. This stems from Tostan’s recognition that bringing about sustainable social change requires the engagement of all stakeholders; it is only when groups join together within a community or network with shared goals and unified commitment can effective movements for change take hold.
 
Tostan also respects the cultural context of its participants and communities, encouraging them to set their own development goals. Without any specific development requirements imposed or any judgment passed on tradition  or culture, communities foster their own dialogue, evaluate their own practices, and reach their own consensus regarding their interests and priorities. Tostan believes that development is most sustainably achieved when placed in the hands of communities through grassroots initiatives. With this in mind, we work to build relationships of respect and trust with our partner communities. 
 

Future-Oriented and Affirming
At the beginning of the program, participants identify constructive goals for the future of their community. The knowledge gained in class sessions helps them to achieve their goals in an organized and sustainable manner. Framing the lessons in terms of community goals allows participants to link the knowledge and skills they gain to the issues and objectives they have recognized. In this way, the learning process and the development process are fused together; with every lesson, participants increase their ability to effectively address the needs of their community. Additionally, the curriculum and teaching methods are affirming; instead of focusing on what a community lacks, Tostan asks participants to focus on positive aspects of their current situation and build on existing resources. Development then becomes a positive process through which communities can celebrate and build on their strengths and use them to overcome their challenges or concerns.
 
 
Responsive
Tostan uses the feedback it receives from communities and participants to regularly update and revise its programs, carrying out systematic evaluations to monitor their effectiveness. The organization also helps external, independent researchers carry out their evaluations in order to better understand the tangible results of the CEP. This allows Tostan to continually adjust and improve its approach, to learn from its experiences, and to develop and implement new ideas.
 
Tostan also responds directly to community needs. When neighboring villages hear about Tostan's work, they frequently request the program. Tostan then works to bring the CEP to these communities, spreading the organization’s impact and reaching participants who are eager to benefit from Tostan’s education program.
 
 
Sustainable
Tostan believes that the collective changes made by villagers must be self-sustaining. As a result, Tostan helps establish democratically elected Community Management Committees (CMCs), which continue community-led development efforts after the education program ends. Trained during Tostan's tenure in villages, these committees use the same participatory and reflective methods that are modeled throughout our educational program. CMCs are then linked through the Empowered Communities Network (ECN) in order to ensure continued development initiatives and to build capacity by creating partnerships and sharing resources. These practices ensure that the lessons learned during the CEP are translated into far-reaching social change that lasts long after the classes have ended.