Tostan

Tostan's mission is to empower African communities to bring about sustainable development and positive social transformation based on respect for human rights.

Tostan means "breakthrough" in the West African language of Wolof. Since 1991, Tostan has brought its holistic 30-month education program to thousands of communities in ten African countries: Burkina Faso, Djibouti, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Somalia, and Sudan.

Tostan's unique Community Empowerment Programme (CEP) has successfully promoted human rights and health in villages throughout Africa. They have put together a video and, through interviews with Tostan's Executive Director Molly Melching, UNIC EF's Director of Programme Division Dr. Nick Alipui, and past participants of the CEP, viewers will learn about the social struct ure of female genital cutting (FGC), and how Tostan's approach of community-led development has led to the abandonment of FGC in thousands of villages.

For more information visit their website http://www.tostan.org/