Education
Tostan’s three year program is often the only education villagers receive. As well, it teaches parents the importance of keeping their kids in school.
Educating a girl does far more than place a child behind a desk. It is the surest pathway to reducing infant mortality, mitigating high birth rates, slowing migratory pressures, and unlocking economic potential.
I was most happy today when I was informed that I will be in grade 7. Without my community’s support, I would be a drop out and may be left vulnerable — not in school, no opportunities, and I may be forced to marry. I wish all girls like me could benefit from this chance. My elder brother dropped out of school due to financial problems. Back then there was no Tostan in our community.
We achieve remarkable results in two key areas:
- addressing the need for adult basic education
- keeping girls in school for longer
By donating today, you are moving the needle on the Social Development Goal of education – working toward ensuring “that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy”
Being literate and numerate can allow people to:
- Make use of banks
- Operate small businesses with microcredit, reducing instances of extreme poverty
- Enjoy better health and well-being throughout their lives
- Wait until adulthood to marry and have children
- Become advocates for their communities and contribute to an increase in civic engagement
Literacy and numeracy bring feelings of empowerment, pride and dignity. Not only that, educating women has a widespread impact — ranging from greater civic engagement to climate-related behavioural change.
Join the growing global community convening around education and dignity for all. Your investment will be contributing to the most innovative model of community empowerment that is being practiced.
Most grassroots education models either stay small or struggle with the bureaucracy and mission-drift that comes with the pressures of large scale operations. Tostan is demonstrating a collaborative model for scale that focuses on community wellbeing, in partnership with communities, governments, and local and global partners.
Tostan has shared its approach with a many nonprofits, and is now developing a deeper training that will allow other nonprofits to fully replicate its programs.