Fatou Coulibaly, 56, serves as a Community Management Committee member and local councilor in Soudiane, Senegal. Fatou participated alongside Marième in Tostans three-year Community Empowerment Program in the late 1990’s, learning human rights-based empowering education, the ability to read and write, social mobilization, local democracy and income-generation and project management.
“This education has given us so much that makes a difference in our daily lives. We take the kids to the hospital when they are ill rather than try to treat them ourselves with leaves and plants. We understand the importance of washing our hands and we have cleared off any branches and water puddles that attract malaria mosquitoes. Now, we clean the entire village once a week,” says Fatou Coulibaly.
Today, Fatou and Marieme have the confidence to speak in the presence of men in their own Community Management Committee, helping to make vital decisions for the community as a whole.
“I still remember that incredible feeling of being seen. Everyone listened and my opinion mattered. I also realized how discriminated against women had been. We had no worth. Our men treated us poorly, but I don’t place the blame on them, that is how all families lived,” - Fatou Coulibaly.
Transcript
[music begins]
Text: Tostan, Dignity for all
Rose Diop, Program Leadership Team Member, speaks in a West African language:
Imagine a world where every community can achieve their own vision for well-being.
Images: Arial shots of a remote village
Where women, men and young people can speak up and lead their own development.
Images: Group of men and women walking, a woman speaking into a megaphone
This world already exists, as we can already see it here in West Africa
Images: Rose Diop speaks to the camera
Elena Bonometti, CEO of Tostan, speaks in English:
Over the past 30 years we have seen thousands of breakthroughs in community well-being
Images: Community members dance with traditional instruments playing
thanks to our empowering education model and its adaptation, its scaling, and sharing in so many different geographies and with trusted partners.
Images: Elena Bonometti speaking to the camera
Text: Since 1991, we’ve partnered with African communities to support positive social transformation and sustainable development, reaching more than five million people through our holistic empowering education program.
Images: Community members dancing together while playing instruments
Carina Ndiaye, Chief Partnership Officer, speaks in English:
With the communities we serve, we have co-created a strategic engagement plan to 2030 that is both ambitious and realistic
Images: Carina Ndiaye speaking to the camera
With the community and its leaders, government officials, civil society organizations, donors and other key stakeholders,
Images: People sitting listening to speaker, Tostan employee shaking hands with community members
we will continue to support this growing movement towards community-led development as defined by the community.
Images: Carina Ndiaye speaking to the camera
Rose Diop, Program Leadership Team member, speaks in West African language:
In partnership for community well-being, let’s aim towards dignity for all.
Images: Rose Diop speaking to the camera
Captions read:
Join us in partnership for community wellbeing
Images: An upwards shot of a large tree
[music ends]
