KUDOS TO TOSTAN TRAINING CENTER
Tostan Training Center offers the best in promoting community wellbeing.
There is a physical , psychological and educational safe environment which enhances active participation for all .
Its rich contents are made interestingly accessible through the expertise of seasoned facilitators , and enjoyable methodologies which include group work / presentations , role plays , use of slides and charts, demonstrations , trips / visits to communities and historical sites , interactions with CMC members who visit the center , Ice breakers sharing of personal traumatic experiences etc In fact the opportunity to share personal experiences offers great healing from suppressed feelings which people would never think of revealing or even relieving.
Many topics are approached through simple but well researched methods.
At the Tostan Training Center , Thiès Senegal , everybody is important.
My personal experience in Tostan training from 25thApril to May 4th ,2023 has really sharpened my approach especially in my cherished area of Human Rights. Thanks to Tostan , I now step down these HR principles to fellow women with ease.
TOSTAN IS THE BEST with 5***** rating.
Tostan is a non-profit organization that has been known for its Community Empowerment Program (CEP), which includes community well-being training.
And I had the privilege to attend the community well being training .
This program focuses on various aspects of community development, including human rights, health, education, and economic empowerment.
Tostan's community well-being training is a comprehensive program that addresses multiple facets of community development. It covers topics such as human rights, health education, and economic empowerment. One of the most thing that I have learned Tostan training is its participatory approach, where community members actively engage in discussions and activities to drive positive change.
Tostan emphasis on human rights education. And the knowledge I have gained from Tostan helped me learn about my fundamental rights and responsibilities as individuals and This knowledge empowered me to advocate for justice, equality, and dignity.
I have learned many other skills like aligning human rights with the religion, involving community leaders and religious leaders with my work.
And I have been applying this knowledge within my own communities, which has led to improved well-being of my communities.
Tostan is striving to build a safe space/Dignity for all. Most recently sponsored the training of teachers to combat gender discrimination, stereotypes and rate of school drop outs in Ota Ogun State Nigeria. Where Coalition of Social Organizations joined in.
Golden Gleams Empowerment Foundation, WRAPA, SBTH among others
In my entire life, I have never seen an inclusive rural community that has a vision board of the well being of community members. Neither have I seen rural Muslim women in key leadership roles, who exuded confidence and modelled confidence to younger girls. This and more are my first-hand experiences and the ripple effect of Tostan good works. I totally applaud them for strengthening African communities, and I'd recommend them as an incredible nonprofit that is worthy of support, as the good works they do leads to positive impact and the sustainability of communities.
Ma rencontre avec Tostan fut le fruit du hasard. Puis j'ai voulu mieux connaître l'organisation. Alors, j'ai postulé pour une formation sur le Bien-être. J'ai découvert le Programme de Renforcement des Capacités Communautaire (PRCC). Je suis entré dans la famille Tostan comme Consultant pour le projet "Quand Elle dirige, tout le monde réussit". Petit à petit, j'ai vécu des moments intenses internes, qui ont remodelés ma personne. Implication à la prise de parole, capacité à faire des plaidoyers pour la défense des Droits Humains, prise de conscience par rapport aux conséquences des pratiques néfastes faites sur la Fille et la Femme qui violent sa Dignité dans son ensemble. Le courage de rencontrer ma propre communauté pour les sensibiliser sur les conséquences de l'excision et mariages d'enfants ainsi que des conséquences de toutes les formes de violences faites sur la Femme, la Fille et les enfants. Ce courage de faire face à ma communauté je l'ai eu en vivant toutes les activités du PRCC. De plus, Tostan m'a permis de parler ma langue maternelle : le Bassari (Oniyan). que j'avais perdu du fait des voyages études et profession. Ce que j'ai beaucoup senti c'est ma métamorphose comme personne sociable, la gestion de mon salaire, mais surtout la réussite pour la transformation positive des membres de ma communauté par l'adoption de pratiques positives qui promeuvent la Dignité de la Femme, de la Fille et de l'enfant, la participation à l'effort de lutte contre le changement climatique et la réalisation des ODD. Tostan m'a permis aussi de renforcer mes connaissances sur l'humanitaire sur la nécessité de toujours collaborer avec tous les intervenants d'une localité. Tostan est pour moi ma seconde famille, l'équité et l'intégrité y sont des Valeurs que vivent tous ses agents (collaborateurs-collaboratrices), aucune discrimination entre le personnel, aussi la promotion des agents compétents dans les postes de direction, la prise en compte de la dimension Genre dans recrutement et les postes de direction. Tostan m'a permis de prendre conscience des Valeurs intrinsèques qui rythment la vie des communautés dont il faut toujours prendre en compte. Tostan m'a permis de comprendre que toute transformation positive sociale doit se basée sur la promotion des Valeurs des communautés et que toute décision ou engagement ne sera pérenne que lorsque tous les membres d'une communauté ont pleinement compris et sont prêts à assumer leur engagement sur tout en ce qui concerne la décision d'abandon de la pratique de l'excision parce que j'ai perdu deux de mes sœurs de cette pratique dans ma famille.
I am grateful to been selected among the 61st Cohort of the Tostan Community Well-being Seminar. To me personally, Tostan is not just a learning center but a unique safe community space that built my personal courage and motivated me to step up more commitment to empower marginalized communities with different approaches, methodologies and strategies that aspired communities for positive and desirable social change. Which in turns promote people participation in their community issues through creating their own values and vision boards.
The knowledge gained through Tostan has built me with utilization skills to promote sustainable social change and a community of well-being for all because I got to know why many development projects failed in Africa, even with the well-written sustainability plan. The believe in me to continue driving social impact change across Africa under our community-led development projects at YAPD4Africa, I have learned many methods of community empowerment especially through the Community Management Committee (CMC).
To see the learning result of Tostan training, I have created my own action plans to share these new skills with my colleagues and leverage on our Community Action-Led Project. So I am looking for resourceful partners to support us to engage the communities with the models as advocacy skills to promote people participation at the grassroots.
Another great thing, Tostan team welcomed us into the training center using their culture music with local drums and dances. The facilitators made every session educative as participatory learning process, while the food was so delicious and their hospitality was one of its kind because every night, I felt like I am always at home all.
Jërë jëf to Tostan for guiding me with values of trust, love, respect, integrity, learning, innovation, passion, dialogue, partnership and commitment in my works to build a community of well-being.
Thank you so much for reading!
~ Idris Bilyaminu Ndasadu’Lau.
(Bili).
I always knew that my professional life needed a special boost but could not say for sure what I was looking for sure. But on the day I was first introduced to the Tostan approach and methodology, that day I found what I'd missed all along. I'm a better trainer today, facilitation skill has been tremendously enriched, even my way of going about my most important work - supporting peace and security initiatives - is different because today I understand HOW social change happens, far better than I did during the first 26 years of my professional life. So, you can understand why some time ago when the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) was looking for an organisation to engage on their Initiative to address climate change and security related risks, I could think of only ONE organisation at the time - Tostan!
Tostan Training Center is a place where nonprofits should be to learn the total model. The model has reinforced our organization's strategic plan. Placing our organization on the right path. We have redesigned our communication materials to avoid words that generate negative reactions.
TOSTAN model is still the best training I've ever attended, they it is granded within the community located and thousands of communities are ready enjoying it's influence.
The Tostan experience has helped me on how to approach community work better taking into consideration the well-being of the community, priority of the community and the right of the community members. Tostan methodology has shown me how to initiate project from bottom to top approach unlike in the past, where project is initiated by donors without engaging the community of which it will be implemented.
Thumbs up to Tostan for bringing communal well-being to our continent and to the entire world.
I attended the Promoting Community Wellbeing Seminar organized by Tostan for 10 days in April this year.
It was such an educative and insightful seminar which was conducted in a very conducive environment which was also suitable for learning.
I got to understand the importance of community Wellbeing to project implementation and subsequently a successful intervention.
This seminar has been very helpful and I have applied the knowledge gained within my organization as I work with a nonprofit and in other trainings I have facilitated and participated.
I sincerely hope Tostan would have more access to suitable funding which will help them transform the lives of community members and nonprofit workers
Title: Shifting Perspectives: My 10 Days with Tosten in 2022
In the spring of 2022, I embarked on a transformative journey with Tosten, a renowned organization in the field of humanitarian work and community development. Little did I know that these ten days would shift my thinking and challenge my perspective as a community development expert, particularly in my roles as a Child Sponsorship Administrator and a training/facilitator.
Day 1: Anticipation and Excitement
As I stepped off the plane and onto Tosten's campus, I was filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement. I had spent years in the field of community development, and Tosten's reputation was unmatched. My role as a Child Sponsorship Administrator had given me the opportunity to see the impact of financial support on individual children, but I was eager to understand how this translated into broader community development.
Day 2-4: Immersion in Tosten's Approach
The next few days were a whirlwind of meetings, workshops, and field visits. Tosten's approach to community development was unlike anything I had encountered before. Instead of simply providing resources, they focused on empowering communities to be self-sufficient. It was a paradigm shift from the traditional aid model I was accustomed to.
Day 5-7: Challenging Assumptions
As a training/facilitator, I was accustomed to presenting information to others. However, during my time at Tosten, I found myself in the role of the learner. I had to unlearn many assumptions I held about development work. Tosten emphasized the importance of cultural sensitivity and understanding the unique needs of each community. This meant letting go of preconceived notions and listening to the people on the ground.
Day 8-10: Community-Led Solutions
One of the most profound moments of my time at Tosten came during a community meeting. Instead of dictating solutions, Tosten's team facilitated a discussion where community members identified their own problems and developed their solutions. It was a lesson in humility and trust, as I realized that often, communities know what's best for themselves.
The Shift in Perspective:
By the end of my ten days with Tosten, I had undergone a profound transformation. My thinking had shifted from a top-down, expert-driven approach to a more community-led and empowering one. I couldn't help but reflect on how this newfound perspective would affect my role as a Child Sponsorship Administrator and a training/facilitator.
Child Sponsorship Administrator:
I now understood that child sponsorship wasn't just about financial support but about fostering community resilience. Tosten's approach encouraged me to engage sponsors in a more meaningful way, not just as donors but as partners in community development.
Training/Facilitator:
My training methods underwent a complete overhaul. Instead of merely imparting knowledge, I began to facilitate discussions that encouraged critical thinking and community participation. Tosten had shown me the power of collaboration and the importance of listening.
Returning Home:
Leaving Tosten was bittersweet. I knew I was returning home a changed person. My experiences had transformed me into a more thoughtful and empathetic humanitarian worker. I was determined to apply the lessons I had learned to my roles as a Child Sponsorship Administrator and a training/facilitator, working alongside communities rather than for them.
In the end, my ten days with Tosten in 2022 were more than just a training; they were a profound shift in my perspective, redefining my approach to community development and humanitarian work. Tosten had shown me that the most impactful change comes from within communities, and I was excited to be a part of that change, one empowered community at a time.
I endorse the work of Tostan from two viewpoints -- as a former volunteer, and as a current donor.
Review from CharityNavigator