Breaking Through: TOSTAN's Non-Formal Basic Education Programme in National Languages in Senegal. Education for All: Making It Work. Innovation Series

Home , Alphabet song, Kaolack Region, Tostan

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AUTHOR Guttman, Cynthia TITLE Breaking Through: TOSTAN's Non-Formal Basic Education Programme in National Languages in Senegal. Education for All: Making It Work. Innovation Series. INSTITUTION United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France) .Education for All Forum Secretariat.; United Nations Children's Fund, New York, NY. REPORT NO No-6 ISSN ISSN-1020-0800 PUB DATE 1995-00-00 NOTE 45p.; Photographs and 4 pages with background graphics may not reproduce adequately. Available in English and French. For number 5, see ED 380 210. AVAILABLE FROM UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France (out of stock, available in photocopy form only). Tel: 33-1-45-68-10-29; Fax: 33-1-45-68-56-24; e-mail: efa.yth.unesco.org; Web site: http://www2.unesco.org/ece/uk_default.htm. PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Adult Basic Education; Community Action; *Community Development; Foreign Countries; Health Education; Language of Instruction; *Literacy Education; Problem Solving; *Relevance (Education); *Rural Education IDENTIFIERS Facilitators; *Senegal

ABSTRACT Since 1988, thousands of rural villagers across Senegal have participated in a basic education program called TOSTAN, which means "breakthrough" in Wolof, the majority language. Supported by UNICEF and implemented in the six national languages of Senegal, TOSTAN goes beyond traditional literacy programs to link literacy learning with life skills and participatory learning methods. The 18-month program comprises 6 learning modules, each covering 24 sessions and lasting 2 months. Influenced by the whole-language approach, the program exposes learners to real texts and encourages them to write. Learning to read, write, and do mathematics is tied to the improvement of local living conditions and is adapted to the needs of rural women. The first module presents a five-step problem-solving process, which is used throughout the other modules to address specific issues. The other modules cover hygiene and disease prevention, prevention of dehydration from diarrhea and child immunizations, basic financial and material management skills, leadership and group dynamics, and feasibility of income-generating projects. Program facilitators come from the local area and have completed intensive training. They are advised by trainers who cover 10-13 villages and who work closely with development agents and local authorities. Recently the program was adapted and expanded to serve adolescents. Evaluations, funding issues, and the wider benefits of the program for Senegalese society are discussed. (Contains photographs.) (SV)

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. , A Lertelk 4 4 Educationfor All: Making it Work About the project

The World Conference on Education for All, held The project strategy emphasizes educational innova- in Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990, recognized that a tion in practice rather than discourse. The INNOV policy of "more of the same" would not be suffi- database presents many little known experiences, cient to achieve the goal of education for all. some of them with considerable potential. The most Educational systems in most countries clearly need promising and significant ones are showcased in the an injection offresh ideas, a broader vision of how present series of booklets, or through films contained the basic learning needs of all might be met, and the in the EDUCATION FOR ALL VIDEOBANK. Others courage to turn this vision into practice. are grouped together and compared in a new series of THEMATIC PORTFOLIOS, devoted to critical issues It was this quest for an expanded and renovated in basic education. vision of basic education which prompted UNESCO and UNICEF to launch their joint project 'EDUCA- All these resource materials are used in training TION FOR ALL: MAKING IT WORK' right after workshops, inter- project visits and similar activities Jomtien. The two Otganizations decided to dissemi- meant to support specialists and planners from devel- nate and promote examples of educational change oping countries in their struggle to turn education for both in the realm offormal and non- formal educa- all into a reality. tion through which the principles of Jomtien would come to life: programmes which provide The project team will be pleased to receive new infor- learning opportunities for children, youth, and mation, comments and suggestions from all those adults, including underserved groups and those with interested in promoting change and innovation in special needs; programmes which focus on actual basic education. We particularly appeal to UNICEF learning acquisition, rather than on mere participa- and UNESCO colleagues in the field to cooperate tion or certification requirements; programmes actively with the project. which aim to provide a solid foundation for life- long learning, which are responsive to the learning needs and conditions of the socio- cultural environment, For more information about the project, please contact: and which build effective partnerships with local communities and parents. Inter-agency Co-operation Education Cluster in Basic Education Programme Division UNESCO and UNICEF believe that effective and sus- Basic Education Division UNICEF tainable change in education arises from the inven- UNESCO 3, United Nations Plaza tiveness, experience and dedication of educators, par- 7, Place de Fontenoy New York, NY 10017 ents, and community leaders at the grassroots. The 75352 Paris 07 SP U.S.A. EDUCATION FOR ALL: MAKING IT WORK' pro- FRANCE Tel: (212) 326 7000 ject shows that educational innovation and change Tel: (33-1) 45 68 10 00 Fax: (212)702 7149 are already underway in all developing countries and Fax: (33-1) 40 65 94 06 that even the poorest countries are able to take up the challenge of devising educational programmes to fit If you wish additional copies of the 'Innovations series', their means, needs, and aspirations. please contact UNESCO

5 4 ,

"To serve the basic learning needs of all - requires more than a recommitment to basic N education as it now exists.

What is needed is an tt.

1 I it 'expanded vision' that , , . surpasses [..] ; I iI conventional delivery systems while building on the best in current practices."

WORLD DECLARATION ON EDUCATION FOR ALL,r, Article 2 Introduction 8

The adult programme: tackling illiteracy in Senegal

The seeds: building on tradition 12

The Saam Njaay adventure 13

A meaningful road to literacy 14

Learning by modules: a progressive approach 16

The backbone: solving problems 18

Development in action:from health to management 20

Training: intensive practice 23

From experimentation to extension 25

Evaluations: a lasting impact 27

Funding: a critical issue 28

Lessons: going beyond literacy 29

The adolescent programme: a two track approach to illiteracy 31

The future 33

Features: 34

Facts and figures 35

A Tostan graduate 35

inspiring experiences 36

Poetry and social change 39

Bibliography 40

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"Three years ago, I woke up each morning, fetched water from the village well, pounded millet for the day, washed bowls and pots, took care of the children, cooked meals and kept silent about my problems and dreams! I was like my mother and thought my girls would be the same as me. Today, things have changed. Working alongside other women, I have helped find solutions for many of our village problems, I am responsible for managing a project, and I am no longer afraid to speak out about my fears and hopes. Who could have imagined that I, Duusu. Konate, could make such a difference in my community!"

ihese words from a Senegalese woman living in the village of Ker Simbara reflect the thoughts of many of the thousands of women who have participated in a basic education programme in national languages known as TOSTAN, or non-formal education for development. In Wolof, spoken by 71 per cent of all Senegalese, TOSTAN means "breakthrough". It is a fitting name for a comprehensive, 18-month programme which goes beyond literacy to give adult learners the means to define and solve their problems, improve their family's health and more generally, fight the age-old idea that all misfortunes are due to "fate". The programme, developed with villagers over more than ten years, is tailored to local conditions and takes African culture as the starting point for analysing the present and making progress in the future. With the success of the adult programme, 4:\ TOSTAN developed a modular approach and methodologies to reach the thousands of - ,

: - - - Senegalese children who have never been toCanadian International Development Agency Thousands of Senegalese school and would have no chance to do so under (CIDA), this team of non-formal educational women have participated the formal system. The progj-amme, begun in vil- specialists developed a six-module programme in the TOSTAN pro- lages where the adults have already been through in national languages, with detailed guides to the six modules, is presently in the experimental help lead trainers and facilitators through the gramme, started by Molly phase and other NGOs are also participating in the course. Since 1988, the programme has reached Melching (bottom photo, conception and implementation. 15,000 adults in over 350 villages across first from left). The culturally-sensitive programme is the Senegal. A 1992 evaluation said adult learners idea of African and American scholars, as well as who had completed the basic education pro- Molly Melching (given the name Sukkeynagramme were more likely to vaccinate their Njaay), who came to Senegal in 1974 to complete children and use the oral rehydration solution, a master's degree in African literature. She never shared their knowledge with neighbouring vil- left; instead she studied oral traditions, learned lages, and favoured the course's problem-solv- Wolof and worked with underprivileged children ing process as a way to improve their standard in Dakar before moving to a village, Saam Njaay, of living. Several non-governmental organiza- to explore further the relationship between culture tions have adopted the programme, which is in and education. growing demand across Africa. Its success in Through extensive experiment and support linking writing, reading and math with life from the Senegalese government, the United skills to deal with vital issues is one of its trn-\ Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the strongest selling points. rno: TOSTAM1 9 1 0 The aduA I jamme: ddin inenegd gilliteracy

; former French colony of 7.9 million people, phosphates). In 1991, on the, recommendation of Senegal lies on the west coast of Africa, a an education commission, the country began a ,region with low access to and achievement major decentralization programme as part of the effort to achieve 100 per cent school attendance for primary-age children by the year 2000. The commission called for more non-formal education and the gradual introduction of productive work and national languages into school programmes. Since the early 1970s, the use of national languages in education has been increasingly stressed. Although French is the official language, only about a quarter of the population speak it, whereas Wolof is spoken by over 70 per cent. Wolof is also the language in which Melching first started to work, by writing children's stories with African rather than French themes. In 1971, the Senegalese government recognized that the country had six languages: Wolof, Pulaar, Serer, Mandingo, Diola and Saraokolé. Some ethnic groups, especially the Only half of in education. With only half of all children andPulaar, have energetically defended their lan- all children just over one third of girls at school age com-guage, while at university level, linguists have pleting the primary education cycle, Senegal is devoted extensive efforts to transcribe oral lan- complete the similar to its Sahelian neighbours. In 1988, the guages into written form. Three daily newspapers primary edu- literacy rate of women over 15 years was 25 per run a bi-weekly feature in three national lan- cation cycle. cent, for men it was 52 per cent. In this mainly guages, an initiative supported by UNICEF. rural country, there are entire villages in which SOFAA, a monthly newspaper published in not a single person has the rudiments of literacy. Wolof and Pulaar, also provides in-depth articles Primary education usually begins at age 7, on international and national events. lasts for six years and, officially, is compulsory. The government has recognized that liter- In 1981, the "école nouvelle" aimed to liftacy programmes work best when conducted in schools out of their colonial ways by giving them national languages, but the fight against illiteracy a more truly African character, better adapted to has been plagued by a severelack of resources development needs. Reformers called for more and poor coordination. No basic education pro- scientific and technical training to reduce the gramme in national languages existed in Senegal country's dependence on revenue from its few in 1-987. At central government level, responsi- export commodities (notably groundnuts and bility for literacy has often been tossed around

10 1 1 The will to reduce adult illiteracy is one thing. Finding a pro-, gramme that keeps people motivated and prevents a relapse is another. between ministries. The absence of a well The will to reduce illiteracy is one thing. thought out national strategy, poor training of lite- Finding a programme that keeps adults motivated racy practitioners and too few educational mate- and prevents a relapse is another. Before starting rials have meant ad hoc interventions with littlethe education programme, TOSTAN trainers supervision or follow-up. Poor planning is also recall visiting literacy classes in rural areas: "We due to lack of precise literacy figures. "We have would go to a class and there would be four or to do the ground work where we want to inter- five people instead of the fifty registered. In one vene, to know the average literacy rate in a given of the classes, a man was at the blackboard read- village," says Amadou Alpha Bah, a TOSTAN ing a long paragraph on how to write the letter education specialist. "We could save time if this 'G' and the other people were sitting there, a little were done by local authorities." sleepy. We went to another class and asked a But things are changing. A ministry for lit- woman who had been attending that class for five eracy and the promotion of national languages months whether she could read or write. She said, was created in 1991. One of the thrusts of the min- "Well, you know, we spent a couple of months istry's policy is to decentralize operations and devel- studying the difference between the short 'a' and op partnerships with non-governmental and commu- the long 'a'.Meanwhile, one in every four chil- nity organizations. To this end, a national committee dren under 5 was dying in rural Senegal". was set up to enhance concertation, promote action- Deborah Fredo, an education specialist from the research, further the exchange of experiences to Center for International Education at the build capacity, and improve data collection. "There University of Massachusetts at Amherst who paris currently a craze for literacy programmes in ticipated in developing TOSTAN's materials, national languages," says Jacques Laberge of the explains that "before TOSTAN, there were only Canadian embassy in Dakar. "In the past eighteen literacy materials with phonetic-syllabic readers, months, the ministry has taken things in hand, and few actual reading materials. The ministry come up with an action plan and sought better produced newsletters in national languages but coordination." In every region and department for you could rarely find them in villages. Literacy example, a literacy adviser has been appointed to teachers trained people with one book and then it work with education inspectors. was over." 11 12 The seeds:

1111. onaRtion

"He who rejects his traditions may find that after only a few weeks many children were himself being deceived by other traditions." reading small texts." With puppets modeled on Wolof proverb traditional Senegalese dolls, children staged their own puppet shows performed in the neighbour- -,OSTAN's roots go back to Melching's early hoods and later on Senegalese television. years in Senegal, when she studied under The Demb ak Tey Centre expanded its the late Cheikh Anta Diop, a fervent believ- activities by reaching out to thousands of other er in the development of national languages and Senegalese children in a two-hour weekly radio the importance of indigenous African cultures. programme in Wolof from 1978 to 1982. Named Since then, Melching and her collaborators have "The Circle of Yesterday and Today", a reference travelled the country with the spirit of ethnolo- to the way children once gathered round their gists, collecting songs, proverbs, legends and grandmothers in a circle to hear songs, riddles, stories that are a rich source of literacy materials. proverbs and stories, the programme focused on Children were their first testing ground. the activities and interests of children in rural In 1976, in collaboration with the Senegalese Senegal. Like a caravan in ancient times, the Ministry of Culture, she and Bollé Mbaye, a dra- programme's producers went from village to vil- matic arts graduate well-versed in African lage collecting materials. "Suddenly, parents "We found thattraditions, opened "Demb ak Tey"began working with children so that when the after only a few(Yesterday and Today), a centre to promote radio programme passed through, they would non-formal educationin Wolof for have good and interesting materials. It became a weeks many chil- Senegalese children by giving them access kind of competition between villages to see who dren were readingto books, theatre, puppetry, games and art would have the richest materials," Bollé and small texts."activities based on their traditions. Located Melching recall. The programme became very in the Medina, a crowded section of down- popular: the village children and even the adults town Dakar, the centre became a favourite meet- could just about recite every play and story ing spot for neighbourhood children who other- broadcast from the previous week. This prompt- wise spent most of their time on the streets. At ed the producers to put more messages into the first, the children were given various newshow about health, the environment and the reading materials in Wolof. "We noticed that importance of education. "We started doing books at school were in French, which meant plays on health and the environment, and songs children not at school could only look at the pic- on the importance of reading and writing." tures in them. We saw the children were very Children and adults listened regularly to the pro- excited about reading," Bollé explained. "So we gramme and used it as a forum for discussion in devised a game. We cut out a lot of letters and their villages. drew pictures of day-to-day objects the children knew. They would use the letters to create the corresponding words which had been used in the books we had been reading with them. We found 13 12 $ Nj'0141

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ncouraged by this, the Demb ak Tey Centre lem"""AgagE111111t moved to Saam Njaay in1982, a Arought-stricken Sahelian village of 300 people located an hour from Dakar. Melching and Bo 116's arrival in the village was auspicious: as the story goes, El Hadji Moustapha Njaay, the because every innovation came after dialogue Every innovation village chief who was 95 years old, had knownwith villagers. "We spent a lot of time talking came after dialogue 40 years earlier that an unusual woman couldabout what people did already, what their prob- with villagers. "We come to Saam Njaay because his father had lems and needs were," says Melching of her dreamt of her arrival and the changes she would team's early days in Saam Njaay. "We talked spent a lot of time bring about in the village. What started as a about traditional farming and the kinds of events talking about what three-month theatre project financed by thethat were really important to them. Their first people did already, non-governmental organization ENDA-Tiers priority was to have access to water. Their sec- what their problems Monde turned into a two-year stay, during which ond priority was to read and write. They wanted and needs were". a basic education programme was developedto learn how to write their names and corre- with villagers. The experiment was financed byspond with their friends and relatives. They the United States Agency for International were very open and excited by our approach and Development (USAID) in conjunction with aour interest in them. We recorded everything project at the Senegalese National School ofand told them we would write it down, come Applied Economics (ENEA). back and say 'look: this is what you have "When Molly came", the village chief told said!". a visitor, "the village women walked five miles At first, villagers saw French as the lan- a day to get water. Now they get water here. guage of progress. Since colonial days, mastery Before, we had no system for gardening and our of reading and writing in French had been syn- people often went hungry in the dry season. onymous with paid employment or, more impor- Many of the village's babies died before the age tant, a job in the civil service in Dakar. The team of 2. Now we have enough food for the dry sea- pointed to the large number of unemployed, son and a health hut that serves this and 18 other educated people in cities and considered the villages. The young men also used to get bored advantages of learning Wolof. "The villagers and restless and left the village to go into Dakar. became increasingly excited to discover that in Today they are here with us, deeply involved in only a matter of months, they would be able to village projects." Proof of that is the grinding write letters, understand receipts and forms (for mill, run by the women and now making a good selling their millet and peanuts) and manage profit. The dispensary is self-financing and the their own village projects," said Bollé. They nursery garden, known for its production of egg- unanimously chose to begin classes in Wolof. plant4, has prospered. Saam Njaay is a symbol of the future TOSTAN basic education programme. First, 13 14 Ameamn road tolitrac

Looking at the Tostan programme takes eigh- familiar objects i_8 teen,Ithough months, villagers learn basic reading and writing skills in four or five months. In that resembled Saam Njaay, most participants (men, women and letters, the children between 10 and 60), had never seen a text roofs of two in Wolof. The first step was to motivate partici- huts became an pants by writing down their names, their proverbs "m", the round and stories, or their daily activities, then reading these texts back to them. The villagers copied the mats woven by texts in shaky but determined handwriting. The women were team only introduced the study of individual let- perfect "o"s. ters at a later time and then through use of an alphabet song using traditional rhythms which soon captivated the whole village. They toured the village with learners and identified familiar objects that resembled letters. The roofs of two huts became an "m". The round mats woven by women were perfect "o"s. The first lessons were in the backyard of a village compound. "We helped everyone practise writing circles and lines until they were used to holding a pencil. Then each participant chose a favourite word to learn. We gave each person his or her word and asked them to copy it several times," says Melching. "The artist on our team, Malick Pouye, drew pictures of the objects represented by the words. With these words we put together a basic village vocabulary to which we adapted traditional Wolof games to reinforce word recognition and spelling." Unlike most literacy projects in West Africa which stress letter repetition and syllable combination, this approach, influenced by the "whole language approach", emphasizes meaning, exposes participants to real texts from day one and encourages them to create texts. Because they are familiar with the text's content, reading comes more easily. Within five months, many villagers had start-

14 ed to write. Some began taking notes at meetings later secured funds to build a health hut. The TOSTAN programme and recording the births and deaths in registers. The positive experiences in Saam Njaay, has incited women to As they acquired literacy skills, they also gained combined with visits to numerous literacy cen- form cooperatives and confidence in their ability to change their living tres around the country, convinced the project's take an active role in conditions. team to make its teaching methods available managing village funds. At one literacy meeting on the environment, more systematically to larger numbers. A first women talked about the long distances they had attempt to organize materials into a modular sys- to walk to find firewood, although they knew of tem for an educational programme took place in the dangers of deforestation. After visiting the 1987 in forty-two villages of the Kaolack region. nearby Forestry Department, a group of villagers In 1988, UNICEF/Senegal and the Minister of wrote a play on this theme, featuring a child who Social Development reviewed the Saam Njaay meets the king of all trees in Senegal while look- experience and the first draft of the basic educa- ing for wood. He transports her to a magical tion programme in Kaolack. Both parties were country where every tree talks to her through a convinced that the hundreds of broken down mil- poem or song, explaining the importance of pro- let machines, pumps, windmills and health huts tecting and planting trees. Besides a performance in rural Senegal would still be working if vil- in Wolof for the national 'Day of Trees' ceremo- lagers had been more involved and educated ny, the play was broadcast several times on before project implementation. Between 1989 national radio. An exhibition by the villagers and 1992, upon request from the Senegalese was the basis for an educational brochure pub- government and with funding from UNICEF and lished by the National Forestry Department. As a the Canadian International Development Agency result of this mobilization, the villagers planted a (CIDA), TOSTAN further developed and tested small wood lot and built more than fifty clay and its basic adult education programme. sand stoves in five nearby villages. Health issues, including malaria prevention and treat- ment, were also introduced into the literacy programme. Villagers elected a health committee and the head of each household gave FCFA 1,000 (US$2) to buy medicines. The,committee I S 15 Learning by moMes: a prorssnic aproach

"You never teach children anything; they learn because they want to learn."

roOSTAN has never abandoned the philoso-know why a new technique is being intro- phy of education developed in Dakar when duced, they need to analyse it and understand working with underprivileged children: it, then decide with others if it's right for their "You never teach children anything; they learn community." The experience in Dakar and because they want to learn. What you have to Saam Njaay also proved that games, songs and do is to stimulate them." In Saam Njaay, vil- theatre rooted in local traditions encouraged lagers were motivated when they found mean- participation. ing through learning and understood why they In the TOSTAN programme, learning were doing things. "We treat villagers as very how to read, write and do mathematics goes hand intelligent adult learners", a TOSTAN co-ordi- in hand with improving living standards. Since nator, Sidy Cissé, explains. "All our education- women are both the main care givers in the al materials are based on the idea that people Senegalese family and the least educated group in have a vast store of knowledge which they society, the programme has been adapted to them. have learned through different methods. They This involved rewriting and retesting the pro- AL\ need to think about what they are doing and gramme to take into account the fact that most understand why they are doing it. They need to village women have never been to school and are

16 17 rarely exposed to letters and numbers. The "whole language approach," for example, is well-suited to this kind of sit- uation since it starts with stories of relevant experiences rather than abstract letters that at first have no meaning. "Studies on the ways women learn stress values such as nurturing and interdepen- dence. We emphasize people's need for one another, we try to show how people can work together, often citing traditional proverbs," said Ramata Dia of TOSTAN. "Women learn very quickly this way." Journeying from the concrete to the abstract is used for teaching mathematics. Adapted from a method introduced at the Mauritanian Institute of req. op National Languages, the approach 44:: 4/ ;'°.10,"ct, 4--*//,,,,00_, emphasizes the notion of "base" as the 43. :,,,,,,,ectt.:4s.'4'474-(00 ,..: 04./0:-Z4.1"5.47 foundation of all written and oral numer- .91' 04040 ° 419 4ev ..t5;45 ation. One of TOSTAN's education spe- '4'166 , v 44'ae., 9 ;;94, 450 d 4'45)1/ cialists, Amadou Alpha Bah, perfected `1(1.,,,c) °9 the method, adapting it to the Senegalese - 41, environment and especially to women. Each maths lesson is tied to a practical 42-,--1- skill and moves from the concrete (real objects) and the semi-abstract (drawings of objects) to the abstract (numbers). The eighteen-month TOSTAN Basic Education Programme, presented to participants as a path of discovery, comprises Many classes create study groups to review new six learning modules, each covering twenty-four infommtion outside class hours. In one evalua- sessions and lasting two months. Each session tion, a majority of village women maintained lasts about two hours. Based on their work that coming to class regurlarly, namely every schedules, learners choose the days and times of other day, was essential to sustained learning classes. Classes usually meet three times a week, because it gave them the time needed to assimi- every other day, but during the rainy season, late new knowledge. learners generally meet once or twice a week.

17 .4 18 The backbone: sohfingpm

Not to tell participants what they should be thinking, but to introduce skills that will help them find their solutions.

ihen, on two occasions, a young child in ing villagers become autonomous and indepen- the village of Ker Simbara crawled too dent, we start our programme by learning prob- close to his mother's cooking fire and was lem-solving techniques. The simplicity of the burned by a hot coal, women met to discuss how process followed in this module makes it easy to prevent this kind of accident and find alterna- to apply in the situations participants face in tives to dwindling supplies of firewood. Aftertheir daily lives. As in all sessions of the pro- considering different solutions in the light of their gramme, our aim is not to tell participants what resources, the women decided to build a clay they should be thinking, but to introduce skills stove in each household. that will help them find their own adapted and In Ker Sayib, the participants borrowed a creative solutions. Pictures, teaching games and room for their literacy classes. After two months, stories help to make sessions lively and stimu- the landlord needed the room back. The women lating." called a village meeting and discussed the problem as well as possible solutions based on their The problem-solving process has five steps: financial, material and human resources. They planned the solution together and built a centre I) identifYing and analysing the problem; with the help of other villagers. 2) studying adapted solutions, based on avail- These stories are classic examples of able financial, material and human resources, problem-solving in action, the theme of the as well as the time factor; programme's first module. As the teacher's 3) planning the solution: What needs to be guide to it explains, "To reach our goal of help- accomplished? When do the steps have to be com-

18 1 9 pleted? Who is responsible? What human, material and financial resources are necessary? What are the possible obstacles?; 4) implementing the solution; r".) II7nberC 5) evaluating the results: did we solve the problem?

Each stage is symbolized by a distinct hand ges- ture (see attached graph) and analysed with stories and case studies. Through drawings showing a village where illness is rife, the mill grinder is broken down and women have no wood to cook, learners have to identify problems and draw up a rural development proposal by going through the steps above. Literacy learning is made part of this process. By hearing and seeing words and sentences rather than isolated letters, learners understand that the goal of reading and writing is to understand and communicate. A sentence with a meaning is easier to grasp than a letter in isolation. In the first session, participants learn to match words with drawings. Every word studied is written on a card and stored in a "word box" for regular revision. Participants also immediately learn to recognize and write their own names and the name of their village and country, an extremely motivating exercise. As the problem-solving process is explained, key words are written on the board and read by several participants. "In this way, participants feel it is important to read and write so as to strengthen their knowledge of the problems," said Amadou Alpha Bah. "One reinforces the other." Learners get a pre-literacy book to practice reading and writing. By the end of this first module, they are able to write the numbers f[To 0-9, read and write their names, their village name, and with help from their facilitator, short texts such as letters. During this stage, the teacher is encouraged to create a literate environment: in most villages using the TOSTAN programme, there are signs identifying houses, trees, the health hut or the well. Participants are asked to study the words and try to copy them in their books.

19 Developmet inac from hedth toanage

' .1"kt"(1111,1111 '110Yi Sayn'All 51/11 SgrA. fILIATICer Roa, na.). Xorrto Ami Stan fooh, ituf Mo .ao

Phmo: TOSTAA A participant in Joal he problem-solving skills introduced in been organized in most villages once a week. module 1 are used throughout the program- For this module, participants get a reading learns how to present .L .: me's five following modules, which dealbook which they use through module 4 and an the flip-chart on oral with more specific issues. illustrated health booklet on transmission of rehydration therapy germs. In math, they learn addition, subtraction Yabata Njaay, a Hygiene activities. and numbers from 10 to 100. They also learn TOSTAN graduate, In module 2, participants learn technical infor- how to use the calendar and tell the time. mation about the transmission of germs and the opened a village shop benefits of good personal and village hygiene. Use of the oral rehydration in Saam Njaay. Putting the problem-solving process into therapy and vaccinations. action, small groups from the class form Module 3 introduces health information on two research teams to identify and analyse the major causes of death in children under 5: dehy- major health and hygiene problems in theirdration and illnesses resulting from lack of environment. At the same time, they learn to immunization. This stage also involves question- read and write text and words related to this ing traditional practices, such as using sometimes experience and begin the study of syllables and harmful cures prescribed by the local healer or letters. In a 1992 evaluation, 83 per cent of the the widespread belief that vaccinations can lead participants asked felt that the activities had to paralysis in children or cause miscarriages. been sustained and reported that clean ups had TOSTAN developed a colourful flip chart to

20 present the oral rehydration solution (ORS) 83 per cent of the participants interviewed did which prevents dehydration from diarrhoea.not know how to prepare the ORS before the Yabata Njaay, a village health agent from Saam programme. At the end of it, all the women say Njaay who helped on the conception of this mate- they had used the solution each time their chil- rial explains: "Often people in Dakar don't under- dren had diarrhoea. Similarly, only one-third of stand that villagers don't want to be told what to the participants said they had vaccinated their do; they want to understand why they should be children before the education programme. After doing something. We wanted to know what diar- module 3, most claimed that children and preg- rhoea is and why we should continue to use ORS nant women in the village were systematically even if it doesn't immediately stop the diarrhoea. vaccinated at the right time. Agents at local The day I learned about this, I health posts confirmed that the threw away the pills I had women now arrive knowing been selling and started using which immunizations are nee- the ORS solution in our village essary, the names and dates of health hut". As part of the flip the vaccinations and which ill- chart presentation, the facilita- nesses they prevent. tor shows how to prepare ORS and invites participants to Financial and material practise, stressing the need to management. wash hands and utensils before Module 4 teaches basic finan- preparation. cial and material management In the next session, partic- for all types of village projects. ipants play the oral rehydra- Helping villagers to effectively tion card game, a set of _fifty manage their projects is one of drawings showing positive the most important features of and negative hygiene habits, d the TOSTAN programme. In 511CRI and the elements for makingmodule 4, participants learn

-I ORS. Learners start with about management and good seven cards and try to get four bookkeeping. They study the good hygiene cards and the three ORS cards to information needed on a daily, monthly and yearly win. In the process, they throw away the "bad" basis to assure that the money and materials cards, explaining how bad habits can lead to invested in the project are well utilized. The many diarrhoea and dehydration. Next, participants get concrete examples presented throughout the mod- a small book summarizing what they have ule allow participants to practise using their new learned. They are familiar with the information, skills. The module is introduced when learners so it is easier to read. In a further lesson, learners have already assimilated the maths and literacy plan how to put their new knowledge into prac- notions needed to do bookkeeping. Multiplication tice. In some villages, women organized a health skills are also introduced. group to advise mothers whose children had diarrhoea, making certain the essential ingredi- Management of human resources. ents and utensils were always at hand. At the By exploring notions of leadership and group final session on ORS, participants learn how to dynamics, module 5 "prepares the ground for present the flip chart, practising in small groups. democracy", says Falilou Cissé, a TOSTAN train- As a result it is common to see women present- er. Through lively case studies related to their own ing the chart to members of their family, to experiences, learners discuss traditional forms of neighbourhood organizations or even in nearby leadership for instance, the custom of the villages. eldest man in the village being chief and ways In an evaluation covering nineteen villages, to bring about change. They learn how to set pri-

21 22 Discussing notions of lead-

ership and group dynamics

has emboldened women

and increased their

self-confidence.

now included in the circle of elders when development activities are discussed with important visitors. As for literacy, learners produce various texts, including letters, newspaper articles, poetry and short stories. During a "writers' workshop" every two weeks, they share their work with other villagers. The process also strengthens grammar, spelling and punctuation. In math, participants learn to divide.

Feasibility study and income-generating projects. Module 6 helps villagers make decisions about choosing income-generating projects. Using games, flip charts and plays, participants understand the need for a feasibility study before starting a project. In many villages, women participants have since started small profitable activities and can manage the projects themselves. In Medina Cherif, a village in the Kolda region, for example, the women's group starteda doughnut-making project with FCFA 6,000 (US $12) after a feasibility study. In four months time they had savings of FCFA 40,000 (US $80). In an evaluation in the Kolda region, where the TOSTAN programme was completed in TO.STAN orities and delegate. This has emboldened 1992, about 90 per cent of participants reported women, giving them confidence to speak out in they had used their management skills since fin- front of men. Whether it be the village chief, the ishing modules 4, 5 and 6. Participants with president of a village group or the leader of an small businesses said they now keep financial association, participants interviewed after this records, and calculate profits and losses. They module said they use its contents on a daily basis also appreciated learning management on a and felt they now had a better understanding ofdaily, monthly and yearly basis. themselves and others. In many villages women At the end of each module, learners take are in charge of treasuries and committees have short, ungraded tests to see if the set aims for been set up to manage collective funds. In Ker their work with the facilitator and trainer are Sembara, villagers are speaking about electing"achieved", "in progress", or "not achieved". their village chief. In another village women are

22 Training 0 tenPve practc

,OSTAN prefers the term "facilitator" to teacher, reflecting its two-way approach to -learning: classes open the minds of participants to new ways of managing their lives, facilitators are guides on this path. Facilitators are expected to have at least four years of primary schooling, or be literate in national languages. They should come from the same village as their future students, and be prepared to stay there during the week for the programme's 18-month duration. The job profile calls for candidates to be "patient, tolerant, respectful of others, competent and devoted to learning". In practice, however, some facilitators have no education at all and often come from neighbouring villages if no one can be found in programme villages. The low educational level of most facilitators convinced TOSTAN that one of the keys to a successful programme was very practical and comprehensive teaching materials. One of the reasons the Mauritanian experience of math teaching only partly succeeded was due to a lack of training and session guides for teachers. Most teachers were unfamiliar with the process and simply reverted to methods they had learned in French schools. The result of this in Senegal is a poems is very close to traditional education." About 55 percent of training programme "that is one of the most Training lasts six to seven hours every day: TOSTAN facilitators interesting andavant-gardein West Africa" "It is very intense," explains Deborah Fredo of are women. according to a 1992 evaluation report. the Center for International Education. "The Training starts off with a one-month ses- facilitators are continual learners; they improve sion to understand TOSTAN's approaches and their own writing during the course. They have study the first module. Facilitators then have to get up and present a session, based on a lesson ten days of training before each new module. plan. They have to prepare each session and are "In the whole programme, we emphasizecriticized by other facilitators. You see them processes," says Melching. "The facilitators working every night. By the end of the training, have to study what the goals of education are they are ready to go." and what TOSTAN's role is in all this. They During the course, facilitators have to assess learn that use of theatre, songs, games and students' progress by filling out a form every 23 2 4 caar.ara., .ce

Photo.' TOSTAN month and evaluation tables at the end of each with thirty participants each. This money is paid module. Less formally, TOSTAN asks facilita-by the Village Education Committee elected in tors to give their impressions of learners' each community to be responsible for all activi- progress and to encourage group discussions on ties of the programme. the impact the programme has had on the lives The initial problem of finding qualified facil- of participants. itators, particularly women, is slowly being Facilitators are helped along by their trainer, overcome by recruiting TOSTAN graduates, who visits classes regularly. One trainer normal- such as Seexu Ndiaye, once an illiterate farmer, ly covers ten to thirteen villages close to one who followed TOSTAN's course and became a another. He or she helps village facilitators facilitator, then a trainer. The programme hopes review the coming week's sessions and makes to increase the number of female facilitators by sure there are no major problems. The trainer recruiting from these graduates. Currently, about also works closely with development agents and 55 per cent of facilitators are women. local authorities to coordinate class subjects and project activities. Trainers earn about FCFA 130,000 (US $260) per month (the minimum wage in Senegal is FCFA 40,000 or US $80). Facilitators get an honorarium of FCFA 25,000 25 ZEi\ (US $50) per month for teaching two classes

24 Fromexpe ent.ifion to extension

T,--rom January 1989 to December 1992, the TOSTAN basic education

.P.L. programme operated in nineteen villages in the Kolda region of Senegal. The entire programme from module 1 through 6 was implemented despite an interruption due to lack of funds. The Kolda experiment was designed to allow a final revision of the six modules and serve as a teaching and logisti- cal lab for TOSTAN trainers. In 1991, the programme was extended to fifty-five villages and several non-governmental organizations. Withgovernmentcooperation, UNICEF targeted villages which had water and a rural development programme. In practice, the choice was more arbitrary. In five villages, famine and drought forced the centres to close. "Politics won over in some cases," according to Alain Dunberry, a consultant for Separate classes for men and women are More than 100 villages CIDA. "It is considered a great privilege for a generally started, each with thirty students. have requested the village to have a literacy programme. Demand Melching justifies this by women's initial lack of TOSTAN programme. for them is greater than supply." confidence: "In one class of fourteen women and When basic education is made part of a two men", she recalls, "the men still did all the development project, such as the UNICEF-talking!". In most villages, however, men are inspired "Bamako Iniative" to improve basic quite supportive. They also see that change is health services in rural areas, TOSTAN starts off beneficial to the whole family. At the end of two by approaching the people in charge of thesemodules, "women have totally changed; they programmes. "Those who run development express their feelings without fear and are able to activities in villages often have no formal educa- stand up in front of a group, organize and find tion. We tell them about the importance of link- strategies for action". ing education to development to make their Collaboration with village authorities has actions more successful," explains Amadou a mixed track record. "Authorities often want to Alpha Bah. A committee in each village decides control the organization's actions rather than who will participate in the programme 4id where support them, but there are exceptions," says to hold classes. Amadou Alpha Bah, pointing to several prefects au[7, 25 26 40') t

Art forms such as who have shown genuine interest in community International Cooperation, in her report. "Project

theatre can be power- mobilization. "It makes a real difference when a organizers and trainers had to spend a lot of time local authority visits a classroom. It is very sensitizing groups before villagers were pre- ful ways to transmit important to participants". In Taiba Njaay, an pared to pay facilitators. It eventually worked, educational messages. important religious leader volunteered to but not without difficulty." Villagers are more become a facilitator. He is a strong advocate ofready to build classrooms and buy materials education in national languages and has been than pay a facilitator. "We feel it is only where influential in underlining how education and bet- communities have fairly substantial revenues ter health contribute to better religious practice. and villagers are extremely motivated through In some areas, the record has been more ambiva- awareness-raising work that the village develop- lent: in one, the prefect wanted to stop classes, ment organization, and not individuals, can take claiming he had not been properly informed responsibility for the facilitator." about them. Dunberry takes instances of poor One of the reasons UNICEF decided to cooperation one step further, underlining the continue funding the TOSTAN programme in importance of properly training government offi- the same regions for several years was precisely cials to manage and evaluate education pro-to tap into a fund of goodwill towards the grammes. course. UNICEF feels the programme has creat- If the attitude of authorities towards the ed a sensitivity in these areas, and that people programme has varied, participants have not are now convinced by non-formal education. always heen keen on contributing financially to Proof of its impact is that over 100 villages have the project. "The idea of villagers paying facili- asked for the programme and all have already tators turned out to be unrealistic," writes contributed money to participate. Chantal Ouellet, a non-formal education specialist from the Canadian Centre for Research and

26 27 Eva uati9ns: a.as.t pact

ne of the innovative aspects of the ""tekki. Results ,TOSTAN education programme is confirm that the emphasis placed on internal evaluation. These evaluations have important allowed TOSTAN to continually changes have improve pedagogical materials and occurred in training based on first-hand informa- the lives of tion. Chantal Ouellet, consultant for the Canadian Center for Research and participants. International Cooperation, set up the system and trained Ousmane Djimera, Senegalese education specialist, to continue after her departure. The staying power of knowledge acquired in the TOSTAN programme is one of the highlights of several evaluations. The themes of each module were found relevant to local :SDt,DA,wzgA a A. needs and many people changed their borEtar' rANNDE habits, especially in health and management. fmull:11 1. Amis

An evaluation done at the end of veer...I.1.: 1..r.! ...... the experimental phase (1989-1992) ...... ,...... reported a dropout rate of 12 per cent, well below that usually encountered in many other literacy. programmes. "The results confirm that important changes have occurred in the lives of participants after the TOSTAN-UNICEF programme: findings and praised the major participation of besides knowing how to read, write and do math women in the course. "TOSTAN's results prove in their mother tongue, many aspects of theirthat a well-structured approach, linking basic lives, including health, hygiene, individual and education concerns with literacy and giving group finances, the environment, project manage- enough importance to training can yield promis- ment,etc. have considerably improved. ing results. It also has to be sufficiently spread Participants have taken numerous initiatives out in time. There is an obvious need for literacy which show they are on the way to becoming and basic education, and the motivation is there. autonomous and self-sufficient," the report said. It is nevertheless necessary to provide sufficient A 1992 evaluation by CIDA echoed these resources to adequately meet these needs."

27 4 ei Funding:

acriticg issurz

Trainers ride motorcy- r t is hard to estimate the cost of developing the cles when the villages TOSTAN Basic Education Programme, as it under their jurisdiction .L.has been an ongoing process over the past fifteen years. Although no exhaustive evaluation are too far apart. exists to this day of TOSTAN's real costs, the following items are always taken into account when estimating the programme's cost at a given time and region:

* equipment and materials for each village centre,

* cost of ninety days training for village facilitators over two years, requires adequate initial investments. Once per- * seventeen books for village fqcilitators and sonnel is trained and books start being printed in eleven for village participants, larger quantities, costs gradually drop as the programme goes to scale. TOSTAN's accounts show * one experienced trainer for ten villages, that this is clearly starting to happen. The programme's initial costs not only included the * honorarium to village facilitators, either paid materials in villages, but also training people to by the project or by the village organization, understand and work with participatory methods. While UNICEF admits that the experimental * transport for the trainer Costs can be substan- phase from 1989-1991 went over budget due to its tially cut ifthe ten villages covered by a trainer length, the cost of the programme has now fallen are close enough so that he or she can walk or as materials for learners and facilitators have been use a bicycle. tested and finalized. Administrative costs have also been cut. Suppliers and printers have been The average eighteen-month to two-year chosen on bids through a systematic and rational project covering ten villages and 600 partici- approach at all levels. pants costs about US$40 per year and partici- For the moment, TOSTAN's survival is tied pant. Although this is much less than the cost ofto UNICEF's support. "We are under UNICEF's educating a child for one year in the formal sys- banner and only intervene where they want us tem, some donor agencies argue that TOSTAN's to, but we have a very large demand from the programme is too expensive compared with non-formal sector, including associations in vil- other, shorter literacy courses that require less lages and big city suburbs, producer groups and training and books. craftsmen," says Amadouh Alpha Bah. In prac- To these arguments TOSTAN and UNICEF tice though, TOSTAN now recognizes the need answer that a good educational programme to seek alternative sources of financing.

28 2-9 Lessons: go in gbeyonliteracy

technical tools without enough attention to the TOSTAN's need for management skills. "Women have been headquarters the ones who have suffered. Often they aren't and staff at prepared to manage a millet machine so they feel Thies. like failures and are blamed," says Melching. "When you are not prepared, you are going to fail." In many TOSTAN villages, women have succeeded in pooling savings and running successful income-generating projects. Several keys to TOSTAN's success emerge from studies and from conversations with individuals:

--y=7----cOSTAN learners might be able to master * The participation of learners in devising the

; basic reading and writing skills after fiveprogramme's contents: all materials were months, but part of their achievement is designed through testing, dialogue and feedback. rooted in a method that took about fifteen yearsAlthough this required higher investment in the to develop and required considerable patience, early stages than is the case for most literacy pro- curiosity, openness and dedication. It has turned grammes, it has yielded impressive results and is into a solid programme that gives people firmcomprehensive enough to be used in different foundations to improve their lives. environments. Proof is the success reported by The programme was born out of a fruitfulmore than twenty non-governmental organiza- encounter between one individual, dedicatedtions in tying TOSTAN's basic education pro- African educators, a country and the belief that gramme to their own rural development projects. culture could be a rich educational ally. "The method puts traditional civilization before a sci- *A comprehensive basic education programme entific mirror", says Alphonse Tay of UNESCO. strikes a deeper chord in people's lives than a The light cast by science on traditions leads to a straightforward literacy project. The objectives critical examination of reality. Some traditions, are clearly presented to learners before each such as leadership concepts, are modernized;module, providing a sense of direction. others, including attitudes toward health and Understanding how each module will contribute medicine, are demystified, while art forms, fromto changing their lives and environment is a dance to music and theatre, are powerful ways to powerful motivating factor for learners. transmit educational messages. Throughout the TOSTAN course, participants TOSTAN's programme is founded on the learn to read, write and do math at the same time assumption that learning sinks in when people as they are introduced to the problem-solving truly understand the how and why of things. Too process and to ways to improve health, hygiene ZN often, development projects have given women and living standards in their community. fv\ITIPr7 29 30 Combining the goals of conventional literacy neighbouring villages to present the oral rehydra- programmes with those of consciousness-raising tion flip chart, for example. Today, after following and transformation is one of TOSTAN's most the programme, adolescents can discuss some of ilmovative aspects. its aspects with their parents, putting the family on the same level of awareness. * Striking the right balance between structure and flexibility means the programme can be * Donors are more prepared to fund projects that used in different contexts. The problem-solving result from a careful feasibility study and are run "You can't process, which is the basis of the TOSTAN pro- by people who have mastered literacy skills gramme, is presented in detail and can be adapt- through a basic education programme attuned to imagine how ed to villages according to their needs. local conditions. Many proposals by villagers enthused have been financed by self-help funds and people were with * The availability of materials is another attrac- non-governmental organizations. The latter have the materials tive selling point: "There are new books forbeen encouraged by the involvement of the pop- every module", says Amadou Alpha Bah. "It is a ulation in identifying their problems, and suc- in national very powerful motive for participants. In manycessfully conceiving and seeing through a pro- languages" other literacy methods there is too much routineject to improve their lives. Deborah Fredo and people get bored." * Local support and the motivation of facilita- * Learning in national languages makes literacy tors and trainers are key factors in the program- more accessible and effective. Evaluations cite me's quality and success. When the programme the pride felt by learners about reading and writ- receives backing from the village chief and the ing in their mother tongue. Because valuespresidents of village groups, it is all the more attached to local cultures are integrated into the effective. Lack of coordination and the choice modules, learners encounter words that have an of certain villages for political reasons lessened emotional impact on them. TOSTAN graduates the programme's impact in some areas. In addi- interviewed for one evaluation wanted their chil- tion, the ability of the facilitator and trainer to dren to enrol in a national language programme. be responsive to problems at the local level also has a positive impact on the participants. * Training materials for facilitators: people with minimal education can become good teachers if * Determining class hours according to learn- they have the chance to improve their skills regu- ers' work schedules is another key to the pro- larly and feel they are getting guidance. gramme's success. One evaluation showed that TOSTAN's training between each module, along heavy workloads at certain periods of the year, with its detailed session guides for facilitators, are rather than a lack of interest in the programme, keys to the programme's success. Some non-gov- were the main reason for which participants, ernmental organizations have bought more than especially women, missed classes. 500 copies of each book to use in their programmes. In the Gambia, the TOSTAN math ses- *A common vision: visitors and evaluators of sions were adapted by the Curriculum the project are unanimous about the dedication, Development Department for primary school use. expertise and openness of TOSTAN's staff.

* The participatory approach spreads the educational message beyond the class. The module system encourages the class and the community at large to tackle problems. A common vocabulary Zdb\ builds up in the village about development. Proof 31 lies in the frequency with which learners go to

30 le adolescent programme: atwc-track approach to Eteracy

"I can already read and write my own name and the name of my village and country. Soon I will be able to read stories and write my own."

n 1993, the Directing Pilot Committee for the as new sessions on civic education and pre-profes- Basic Education Programme (with representa- sional skills. tives from the Ministry of Literacy and the Through stories, drama and games, the pro- Promotion of National Languages; the Ministry of gramme has also raised the issue of the girl child Education; the Ministry of Women, the Family and and the specific problems she encounters in Children; the Ministry of Social Action; UNICEF; Senegal. Many of the sessions have action objec- TOSTAN; other NGOs; and UNESCO) expressed tives so that the children can put into practice what their interest to use the TOSTAN approach and they are learning and discussing in the classroom. methodologies to reach out-of-school children. One day of every week is devoted to physical edu- The adolescents learn to read, write, do cation (sports, traditional games, dance). math, solve problems, and in general, develop One of the major lessons learned from the their problem-solving skills and creativity. They adult programme was that the participants need also participate in sessions on health and hygiene, much practice in writing real texts. Thus, with the nutrition, family management, children's rights, help of the facilitator, children create and produce history, geography, education for peace, leadership their own text once a week. TOSTAN chose topics skills and group dynamics. Although the adult pro- for the texts that are related to children's rights grainme was closely followed, new information on because the adolescents always have a great deal different health issues such as sexually kiismitted to say about these issues that are directly connect- diseases, malaria and first aid were added, as well ed to their everyday experiences. The text they

31 3 2 write is then used to teach and analyze both the village and these children are now training others structure and content of the language. An example to continue building the stoves. Some have even of a text written in Wolof by one group of girls begun small projects with their new skills. from the village of 1(.6r Moor Njaay, related to the There are few absences in the adolescent right to equality among sexes, reads: programme and high motivation among the partic- I am the only girl child in my family I wash ipants. Some of the comments the children have all the clothes in the house. I look for wood each made since the beginning of the programme day and do the cooking for the compound. I fetch reflect their excitement and enthusiasm as well as water from the well and do the cleaning. I sweep a real hope for the future possibilities of such a the house and the courtyard. programme: Why do I do all this work? Because I am the girl child. I work from morning to night and when "I was surprised that our teacher never hits us! I lie down at night, I often cannot sleep because She listens to our ideas and we are not afraid to I'm so exhausted. And so I think and think and say what we think" think. I feel so sad and sometimes cry, because I do not know when all this suffering will end. "I can already read and write my own name and The children are also presented with texts the name of my village and country. Soon I will be from their reading book which are written by an able to read stories and write my own. I want to outside author. These answer such questions as: be a journalist in national languages." What is the biggest animal in the world? Why, is there salt in the ocean? What are stars? Why do "I didn't have a way of protecting my books for lions roar? How does a spider trap other insects? Module 1, so I used the problem-solving process What is the biggest desert and longest river in the and, with local materials, made myself a school world? etc. These texts are short, amusing and bag." well written so that the children enjoy sharing them with their parents, friends, brothers and sis- "In many surrounding villages, our friends have ters. not been as lucky as we to have this programme. Using similar vocabulary and methodolo- When I finish, I want to teach children in other vil- gies for the adult and adolescent programme has lages." allowed the parents to actively participate in the education of their children for the first time. "I have learned so many things and can share According to one villager, a child who goes them at night with my mother and father. They through the educational system in the French correct my math and reading and are very proud language is often unable to readapt to the village to be able to help me be a good student. I now feel household. The child feels he is "better" than other I will be able to make my community a better members of the family and certainly "different". place to live! This head of family explained that in his house, everyone now studies together and even uses the problem-solving process during family meetings. Indeed, feedback from villagers shows that com- munication between the generations has been greatly facilitated. Most of the children have already built adapted wood stoves as part of the first module to help put in practice their problem-solving abilities (lack of firewood). The older children were trained 33 by a TOSTAN facilitator who went from village to

32 he future of Senegal, a country without mineral resources and whose capital city will create fewer and fewer productive jobs, continues to be in rural development, especially agriculture. If the city continues to remain more attractive than the countryside, it is utopian to believe farmers will stop migrating there. We must restore confidence to the rural world. This requires a new distribution of power, with more decisions made by farmers who would be free to chose their own forms of organization." Written in 1981 by the French agronomist René Dumont, these words have lost none of their relevance. Part of TOSTAN's strength is the confidence it has given the rural world, by valuing its culture and language, and by giving men and women the tools with which to shape their lives:People will stay in their communities when they have enough income, can take initiatives and see how knowl- edgesuch as better health practicescan lead to change. Evidence of change is obvious in a Ministry of Education ensures a rich exchange of Programmes that give majority of villages where TOSTAN has worked: experiences and pedagogical techniques in the villagers the tools to health committees have been set up, adaptednext few years, in both the formal and the non- improve their living wood stoves are used, small wood lots have been formal sectors. Responding to the demand for planted, women manage the millet machines and basic education programmes in national lan- standards can help to children comment proudly that their mothers guages, TOSTAN hopes to adapt its course into stem migration towards know how to read and write. other languages by 1997 and eventually set up a cities. The availability of a comprehensive pro- training centre for the West Africa Region. gramme that offers participants problem-solving By giving adults and adolescents an exciting tools and deals with the crucial problems oflearning alternative, TOSTAN is attacking rural health, hygiene and the environment is an asset poverty. "Poverty is a vice that can reach the for many regions of Africa faced with high illiter- imagination and become addictive, taking away acy rates, especially among women. More focus the individual's capacity to even imagine solu- needs to be put on implementing these well-stud- tions," says Alphonse Tay of UNESCO. ied and tested programmes rather than develop- TOSTAN has shown that individuals without any ing new ones. At the same time, more efforts formal education, from villages with minimal must be made to increase the number of govern- resources, can improve their lives and environment agents trained in national languages in the ment through a solid programme leading to literacy field. TOSTAN's close relationship to the greater autonomy and self-sufficiency.

33 3 4 N ifarh.....b I ACTS AND FIGURES Population: 7.9 million

Average annual population , growth rate (1980-93): 1 2.8%

Rural population (as % of total): 62 ,

Land area (sq km): 196,722

GNP per capita (US$, 1990): 710 Illiteracy rate (1990): 61.7%, Female illiteracy rate: 74.9% Male illiteracy: 48.1% Duration of compulsory education: o years Net enrolment ratio for first level education: 48% Percentage reaching final first level grade: . 78% Population with access to health services: 40% Children dying before age 5 (thousands): 61 Principal ethnic groups: Wolof, Fulani, Serer, Toucouleur, Diola.

Sources UNESCO World Education Report 1993 Europa 1991

A TOSTAN G,! UATE DIour years ago, Mareem Njaay did not know how to read or write. But having completed the TOSTAN basic education programme, she now runs a baby-weighing project, organized in response to rising malnutrition in Saam Njaay and 18 surrounding villages. With several other women, she followed training at a nearby nutritional centre run by the Swiss organization, Terre des Homilies. She learnt ways to prevent malnutrition and started her project with a stock of medicine to treat conjunctivitis, malaria and worms. Today, against 100 FCFA (US $0.2), mothers can participate in a day-long seminar on ways to impivve children:s nutrition, such as by enrichinglocal jbods with oil and sugar The name, weight and village of evely child is systematically recorded evely time he/she is brought to the project, allow- ing Mareem Njaay and her colleagues to monitor changes. act. The alphabet song seems to be one of the most popular ones: they tiC:N N7,10 tell me that the words remain the Tirl r1-7:1?"10 _113 1W 1.1ri same, but each village puts it to its IV own melody, some of them with , chorals. Most of the songs have been written by the students with the help riZ:.?I'll.;11,L'PL' of their facilitator. Thus, through music and rhythm, they welcome the FLOPCHLUM" CM ,education programme. Today, Friday, visitors, praise the facilitator and CMILE2RENI°31EMC-573: I arn told, many men are at the acknowledge the organizations in CCZYMO MET:172 mosque. charge of the education programme.

EIFIEME N ORMCA \ The entertainment has been orga- A special song has been created on by Rosa-Maria Torres (1) nized in the open air, at the entrance children's rights. of the village, next to a big baobab The facilitator announces the offi- Four o'clock. The expected day and tree. A huge canvas hung betweeff------__ cial start of the programme and time has arrived: by foot or by bus, the tree and a fence prOvides a tent-- explains it at length to the audience. chanting and singing, children and to protect again,tthe sun. Children Then he bens to unfold the flipchart. adults from a nearby village begin to and adults sit on the floor, on mats or stream into this other village. on small.wooden seats. According to CHOLIMISM OF ME CruzmLa Learners -children and adolescents- ny-count, over 200 people are gath- The first picture is an introduction to from the other village want to share/ lered here. Facing them is a big map, the flipchart and presents children of what they have learnt in school (,la blackboard, a flipchart and a table. different races from different coun- around children's rights;through a Several signs with written texts in tries, wearing different Costumes. The special act they have prepared with Wolof are to be seen all over the vil- facilitator asks the students to the help of their facilitator. Children lage: on the tree, on the wooden describe what they see.in the picture, ---e-Ftladults-are present_many_otthem fehces, on the houses themselves. and then asks thernio Point out differ- students of eifharthe adult or the They are part of an effort to create a ences in the children. Children of all adolescentprogrammeparents, the literate environment", surrounding ages insistently raise their hands and facilitators, and the members of the both adults and children with written snap their finger,They all want to : Village Management Committees of texts.Streets have been-baptjz_ed speak. They give all sorts of answers: both villages. This is part of the with'suchnames as STREETOR--7-- the hair, the shoes, the skin color, the non-formal basic education pro- KNOWLEDGE,and STREET OF height, the clothei, the eyes. He then N. gramme in national languages initiat- PEACE. The boutique (a small village asks what their similarities are and ed in 1988 and implemented in Thies shop where mainly \rrt'a-ttnes,,-oil,..sett, the children again answer: they are---- by TOSTAN, a Senegalese NGO, are sold) -which, together with-the -all peoplethey all have/ joyeand with UNICEF and CIDA support. school is the only "modern" cement proloteins,they all have to eat food. The village comprises of barely a house in the village- displays on its One small girl shyly states: All the dozen homes. The houses are small facade a sign in Wolof th'at reads: children have rights". Everyone clapy- and built with mud and straw, clus- BOUTIQUE CHOOSE Now the facilitator asks for a volun--- tered together and separated from WHAT YOU WANT. teer to come to the front, identify and another cluster by wooden fences The facilitator is the master of cer- choose a sheet of paper on which a made out of branches. A few scat- emonies. He has made the drawings text is written corresponding to the teeed trees and dusty narrow streets to illustrate children's rights, prepared subject of_the_drawing;inhis case, complete the scenario. his students, and promoted and orga- "All the children of the worlOhave Mos\tadults present are women. nized this encounter. Everything is rights". A girl comes to theont to perform this part of the presentation:- Many of themare mothers of the stu- conducted in Wolof, one of Senegal's \ dents, many of them are students_ or six national languagesY she,studies the different sheets ex-students themselves of the adult ATe--ife-s--61 songs introduce the displayed on the table, picks the right texts written on sheets of paper and band's attitude. A girl volunteers to identi- which correspond to the drawings. fy, pick up and read aloud the message / "Children and health". -rmF, Fammv---- 7-73.. ------______-----01---grI-ALGHT O A CLEM eom nu-o-Farroom \\_ The picture showt various both: millet, EMVOURICIMMERT7- chicken, tomatoes, fish, papaya, monkey The picture shows a woman with a bread (a fruit from the baobab tree) and broom, cleaning up her yard, and several K7 eggs. After an introdudory discussion on garbage baskets aligned by the fence Of the /-right to good nutrition, a child reads a / the house. After discussion, the children hpoem about a selfish father who wants present a skit in which they have been N/. ll the good morsels of food savedfor: worki.niona village clean-up and are imself, and is not concerned about his discussing further actions to assure suc- D NN children's nutrition. A man in the audi- cess. Then an iplderman comes along ence4who has been listening to the story and throws down paperfrom tha food he with/evident anxiety, raises his hand and has been eating. When the childln try , says genuinely annoyed: "But I hide to explain to him that he should not dirty 1 when do I it. How do you know?". the environment they are working to Everyone laughs. The facilitator then /------clean up;The becomes angry and says N /asks the children how they would ans'wer that children do not have the rightto tell /the selfish fatheryRirthWdisciission fol- adults whatd do. Discussion fol,w6his lows among the men. Volunteers come skit among the children and tke adults. to the front and pick uP sheets with color- Refacilitator asks: 'What will happen in ful drawings of food and short phrases the future if everyone continues to pollute sheet, and then "reads" it aloud while written in Wolof: CHILDREN AND the environment?". The childr respond turning arbund several times so that the CHICKEN CHILDREN AND PAPAYA in unison: "Our whole countrywill be a phrase is visible to the err audience.IN CHILDREN AND MILL& -CHILDREN garbage pile!". The adults are \delighted While "read" is here a verilbetween AND GOOD NUTRITION. 1 with this outburst. -inverted commas these youngiearners have started school only two moniii "ME F2113N7 TO DillEALTH MEE IF3OGHT-76 ago since iis\rher visually recogniz- The illustration shows a mother immuniz- EDID_Ogih-Olisa ing words and phrases,this is actually ing her young child. Following the ques- The drawings illustrate four the very first step to real-reading, to read- tions and answers on children's right to types of learning ("houses ing with meaning and with funt,, health, a skit is staged with a husband of learning"): a woman Adults are expectant, they laugh and and Wife discussing the immunization teaching her child to cook aPplaud, seem both proud and annoyed. \1Ssue. Thiwife-7a young volunteer who (life learning), a black- Perplexed and uneasy at the beginning, hasborrowecablr from a real mother _smithteaching a they begin to feel increasingly at ease \ in the-audience asks her husband-for ."-----,young apprentice_ , and more comfortable as the act unfolds. money in order to vaccinate the child. He (traditionaljob The whole presentatión on children's refuses and argues that he does not- learning), a bby rights will follow this pattern: intoduction have the money. She blames him for with-a-wooden of the picture; questions to children Oh spending the money in playing the lottery slate on his what\ they see illustrated; disbuission of and buying himself tea. Finally, he knees the specificright suggested by/the pic- agrees and she-takes the baby to the (religious ture; interpratation of the right by theichil- vaccination post. Laughter and applause learning), and a boy and a dren through a short, often provocative, 1 follow from-ihe audience as ttie boy girl with modern clothing -----:-- N -, dramatization or poem they have creat- (playing the husband) dances off into the,/ and books under their arms ed; discussion of the play or poem; and rcrowd. A lively dieLussiOn among the/ (learning brought in from the identification and reading aloud of Small' parents enSues in reaction to the hus- outside, the French 37 \ school sYstem). The facilitator asks questions on each type own story while he lived in a daara with a Marabout: he \ of learning: what for? what methods? what differences? A begged for alms, but only in his own neighborhood and at child then comes forward and reads a poem on the impor- that time begging was considered a formative experience, `lance of learning in national languages. learning to be humble and to see how hard it is to be poor. Everyone is really attentive to his explanation. I see many LIJ 1744,ii;tom-ro- mo-u- noucili mothers nod their heads in agreement. In this drawing, a girl is busy with many domestic chores. An eight year old girl comes to the front and reads a poem THE ROGC-07 MOT 71CD IrI PURESHIED that speaks of a girl who does all the work in the house and The drawing shows a father beating his son. Children com- has no time to play. She ends the poem with: "At night, ment that no one has the right to beat anyone (literally, in /when I finally he down to sleep, I think and think and think Wolof, "no one has the right to take the personality away abairt life. My heart is full and I begin to cry because I do from another person"). Parents remain quiet. One of the not know when all this suffering will end". Adults and, par- visitors intervenes and challenges the children with the ticularly, mothers seem uncomfortable and distresaed. question: "But how do you teach children if you do not punish them?". A small, skinny girl immediately responds: [A_PAREMMIE303 o CHOLEDRIERV3 "You take him or her to the back of the house or into a B:REFFONISDEOLUTOES] room, and there you talk to them and advise them."There is At this point, a sheet on RESPONSIBILITIES is inserted in a sustained laughter. Many including the Senegalese the flipchart, apparently to counterbalance the many rights visitor seem surprised at the young girl's quick, sharp and of children and the increasing anxiety of parents. There are wise response. , no pictures on this paper, only written text. The facilitator In concluding the act we, the visitors, are introduced. asks the children to name their responsibilities and duties. The Presidents of both Village Management Committees Some of the answers are: to be polite; to be respectful; to address the audience. They congratulate and applaud the --love oneself; love one's country; to be obedient; to help out; facilitator. A girl spontaneously reminds everyone to also to promote peace. congratulate and applaud the facilitators trainer. In his brief address, one of the Presidents of the THE FROGHT TO PLAY Committee says to the children: "If I were you, and had The illustration shows several children at play; a boy and a learnt what you have learnt in two months, I would be girl playing together; a girl on a swing; another girl dancing. shouting and praising your teacher more than you do". A \ /The facilitator asks volunteers to show the audience cer- father in the audience thanks children because 'they have tan traditional Senegalese games. Five girls come to the brought a lot of knowledge to the adults". A mother says front and show two such games, combining song and that it is the first time that two neighboring communities \ rhythm. have met together. And this is thanks to the education of both the children and the adults". A young boy, full of enthu- MIGC-UT "MD FREE EXPRESSCOM siasm, jumps into the centre of the stage and starts to The drawing shows children talking to each other in a circle. dance. Someone grabs a huge plastic bowl and uses it as a A boy recites a poem that ends with "all children have good drum. ideas, so let us speak up". Adults laugh nervously. And the big party begins. Girls and boys, children and adults: all are in the mood to dance. The same spot, differ- Th IREGO-07 mar 70 Ea EXPELOI7E0 ent choreography. Brief, intense, frantic, individual dancing ./ illustration shows a Marabouff2) with a child chained performances that commit the whole body, the mind, the \ next-to him, and another child begging near a bus full of entire person. While one dances, the others clap hands, \people. The issue appears to be very sensitive. A man, and others mainly women play on improvised drums viSibly upset, asks for an explanation. The facilitator (plastic, metal, wood) that multiply very quickly. An educa- axPlains that there are different types of Marabouts, and tional act turns into a village celebration. The critical issue of _/ that this one belongs to the type that do not really educate children's rights has brought children and adults closer, and children under their care, but instead exploit them and live two villages in contact for the first time.

7 off them, forcing children to beg and to bring them money, We have witnessed a memorable occasion in theves or else they get punished and chained. Then, he tells his of the§'e children and adults, and of these villages. Nothing

38 -3 9 here has been conventional. Education and rights, school and life, students and parents, parents and teachers, teachers and students, reading-writing and Poe edEocis C e singing-dancing, flipchart, poems and plays: they all seemingly interact and go together naturally, as if inia hile every module makes learners look critically at their surroundings, confindum. And this is why conventional categorjes TOSTAN has been successful in using social mobilization to reinforce the and classifications -such as formal/non-formal/infor- education classes. UNICEF and OXFAM-America have sponsored poetry-debate mal education, or school/out-of-school, or the dis- sessions in national languages in TOSTAN classes. Working with traditional musi- tinction between children/adolescents/adults, or cians and singers, a Senegalese poet, Thierno Seydou Sall visited education between children's education and/adult education, classes to recite poetry in Wolof, then lead discussions on issues that are often or even the term community participation do not taboo. help to capture and explain what this is all about. There is, definitely, an innovative approach to litera- Through these sessions, "people have started to think about their feelings and cy; not necessarily a new method b4a renewed their rights", says Melching. As one woman who attended the poetry session said, understanding and a fresh insight 9n the meaning and "we all had these ideas before but we didn't dare say anything. Now we have the joy involved in teaching and learning to read and write. courage to stand up and say what we really think!' TOSTAN frequently receives Literacy as something that involls both children and poems from women written after the workshop and they reflect a new-found adults, as a creative undertaking on the part of both confidence. teachers and learners, as an intelligent act, as a com- This poem was written by Soxna Ngiraan, a 34-year-old participant from Ker munication challenge. Literacy not per se but to know about one's rights, to reflect upon and to discuss them. Sayib. It has been translated from Wolof. Literacy as a social and cultural capital to share with others, with/other children, with other adults, with other The First Wife of a And placed her high above me. villages. Clidren and adults learning together, becom- Not-So-Good Man Whatever you have, you give to her ing literate ahd aware together, in a genuine family and Whatever you hear you tell to her community learning process. I am the first wife of a not so-good-man No conventional terms or prefabricated educational jargon can describe what the villagers and ourselves, And I am frustrated. I no longer see you. the visitors, experienced in those two hours in Thies. I married before others married I no longer talk to you. This is why I have preferred to describe it, and to Struggled before others struggled describe it as I saw it, to share it with you. Tired before others tired If I quarrel with her you say it's my In order for my family to succeed. fault Articleappeared in UNICEF - Education News \ Issue No. 11, January 1995 If we argue, you tell me to leave. I have known hunger

(1) senior EdUcation Adviser, UNICEF Education Cluster. I have known thirst I no longer have a voice in this house (2) Traditional teacher in the daara (religious Koranic school). In order for my family to succeed. And my children are suffering too. So will I ever experience the success Yet how did you thank me, I so fervently sought? not-so-good man? I have little hope now You waited until I was old The Wolof say: And had many children... "Where there has been a fire Then you married a young girl It is difficult for a plant to grow"

nIs Education for All, Making it Work Paphy is a major international UNESCO/UNICEF Dunbeny, A.; Ndiaye, S; Sicotte, A. Spry Leverton, J. programme to collect, analyse and promote Projet education non-formelle pour Literacy Leads the Way at Saam successful basic education projects in the le developpement: Evaluation en Njaay. developing world. cours d'execution. Canadian Pochette de documentation par International Development Agency. theme, No 1, 1991. Previous issues in the series: January 1993. Thiaw, Babacar No. 1 Harrell Bond, B. Ajustement structurel, education et All Children can Learn The Demb ak Tey Resource Center. alphabetisation au Senegal. Chile's 900 Schools Programme for the American University Field Staff UNESCO Regional Office for Underprivileged, 1993 (English, Spanish, French, Reports, Africa, No. 26, 1981. Education in Africa, BREDA 1993. Arabic) Ouellet, C. Vernet, J. (ed). No. 2 lin our own Hands Rapport final de la Conseillère Pays du SaheL Du Tchad au en evaluation -Programme d'edu- Senegal, du Mali au Niger. Editions The story of Saptagram, a women's self-reliance movement in Bangladesh, 1994 (English, French, cation non-formelle TOSTAN- Autrement, Serie Monde, 1994. Arabic) UNICEF. Programme Etudes et Projets de Developpement Rural TOSTAN PUBLICATIONS No. 3 CECI, Direction régionale Withhl Reach Senegal/Cap Vert. June 1993. The TOSTAN Basic Education The story of PROPEL, a non-formal education Program (1993) project for rural children in India, 1994 (English, Paringaux, R. P. French, Arabic) A Saam Ndiaye, tout a commence Guide du facilitateur, TOSTAN. par Palphabet. Le Monde No. 4 Diplomatique, Paris, January 1990. Guide du formateur des facilita- lazing the Trail teurs. TOSTAN. The Village Schools of Save the Children/USA in Mali, 1994 (English, French) For more information about No. 5 Olcin% this project, please write to: On the Right Track Supervising editors: and from TOSTAN TOSTAN Servol's early childhood and adolescent develop- Dieter Berstecher, when indicated BP 326, Thies ment programmes in Trinidad and Tobago, 1994, Rosa-Maria Torres, SENEGAL Fax: 221 51 34 27 (English, French) Art Direction: The opinions expressed in this doc- Alfonso Mulioz ument are those of the author and illustrations: collection not necessarily those of UNESCO of Mrs. Peppler-Barry or UNICEF. from various Photoengraving : Senegalese artists S.G.K. photogravure, France Photography: Printed by Crisol in Ines Forbes/UNESCO Madrid, Spain

40 z C:3 ; 5t, , , .1?,N 71/10 24,4% 1;04, e ITV.. - 4 4 "1. 41, ? .14.14',,a117A s 64#41,t4161. "04 . 1t t -ht - AlA dor JAZ.O.S:r PV,k,614, 0.. irtrkevi.,,),...."....-441b.4.)17f -1101., .1; I 0410:01;14411::tvt,.54 , ( r,;,,,,Al..;#1.,01;;.,."*.i 4' 1/4 OrN !If gdr.i.teiL it/ .1/ p.r.r.1,10. 41;;6/1 '11"`re'DO rW 4;4.-19!) 7ft, "' 9; cI / e9 73' Ving-MV.h- Weret, 1.1::1741014,Feat-41V1;51,ii1 1.40,111/a 11.;.;.:!!..Wref;P1.4, A'Ske, 0'5 .f5,-;i:1144%- kgiGqit rArillat ry' *14 140 4,4; 4:AkIA.141e Nt.y. s'.4, lf"?..:`fr, 4114c- .4725: ejrb;10,:;\ 0)111;(grZik, 047 ',7" _ PP fre# 4.;;:% 4-6 -" OtiPrOtAfEtt,l,it ;g7,4;:p.74,440.#0 - - - . ;JD , e _ - / d . ' odV41,41.014 ' 4Ntyaili(trt (94.-"s' 40. e!,/ ' - 4 ,=.163`-1444C76-,4; ',1( .."-* e /: 4'4 rifiesegVili vALettri.w_vi 4. " Oil' taeiav.ozi?.$7,;.:r '**.e rosTior: ' s ..7.7c.t.;ty ,1,$te 41/40POP'0414417Vt-.",;;Ito,14,1144-,*.e;;IV:,,,i.'114 ;14-'1%,,s!z.blktt,".%1;4 4,t,e,400,..A4r144rp:4.r."*.,,,,,,Vi, ;0 ' - , ' ",0 r " 't.0..c"1:4"r 4'6" 4J:A de0;0)41'01'i' ": VS'WVEI40 ftri' .60- t , fp, " , ' I , :7.0* \t", s; 1.A 1:1-.*,ttr,'-.W..' ',,*9 ?L.P.." ' 1.-;' -,-. ..,, . ,,, a , "-1"-= - -% 5 . , 6 .4";" t,:9 4frv-1 11 sozni Imo liornigar eked to speak out about my fears and hopes", says Duusu Konate, a Senegalese woman living in the small village of Ker Simbara Like many thousands of villagers, she has participated in a basic education progranmie in national languages called TOSTAN , In Wolof, spoken by a majority of Senegalese, TOSTAN means "breakthrough"This 18-month programme goes beyond literacy to give learners the means to define and solve problems, improve their families' health

...and start small-scale projects in response to local needs ' Taking African culture as its starting point, the programme -;- has been developed with villaiers fOr over 10 yearsSince 1988, the UNICEF-supported programme has reached 15,000 people in over 350 villages across Senegal Recently, a separate adolescent programme has been launched Proof of its success is that more than 20 non-governmental organizations have tied TOSTAN's basic education programme to their own rural development projects In drought-stnken Senegal, women's literacy rate is 25 percent, men's is 52 percent Realizing that the first preoc- cupation of villagers may not be to learn how to read and , wnte, but to improve their livelihood, TOSTAN has developed a programme of six modules, throughout which literacy is linked to life skills, and the learning method is partici- patoryEfficient teacher training, thoroughly tested educational matenals and a whole language approach to reading and writing make the TOSTAN method relevant for all those interested in developing literacy programmes in Africa and elsewhere

The editors

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