Programs
The Community Empowerment Program
Tostan’s flagship program is the Community Empowerment Program (CEP). The CEP is a three-year, non-formal education program that facilitates community-led development and social progress. The CEP is rooted in developing awareness of and respect for human rights, and it has been successful in transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of villagers in Western Africa.
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Where We Work
We partner with communities in six countries in Africa.
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Senegal
- The Gambia
Over 200 000 people have participated in the CEP.
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Maximizing Impact: Organized Diffusion
Community Empowerment Program (CEP) participants help to spread knowledge of human rights to all interconnected groups and their social networks.
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Ensuring Sustainability
At the beginning of the Community Empowerment Program, communities create Community Management Committees (CMCs) to lead future development initiatives. Tostan trains the CMCs in the project management and social mobilization skills necessary to lead and implement development projects that are relevant to their community needs, long after the community has completed the Tostan program.
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New Developments
In addition to Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program, new innovations and modules continue to be created that enhance the impact and effectiveness of Tostan’s work. Some of the innovative additions to Tostan’s programs that contribute to its growing success include the Parental Practices Module, the Child Protection Module, the Mobile Phone Module, Community Development Grants, the Solar Project, the Prison Project and the new Sustainable Development Training Center in Senegal.
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