Recognizing Tostan

Floor Speech

RECOGNIZING TOSTAN -- (Senate - September 10, 2007)

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, during my time in the Senate, I have been a vocal advocate of programs that help the nations of Africa improve the living conditions of their citizens. Much of this work is done through dedicated nongovernmental organizations that work year after year on issues of health, literacy, women's empowerment, democracy, human rights, and microfinance lending. Today I wish to recognize one such group, Tostan, which recently won the 2007 Conrad Hilton Humanitarian Prize for its extraordinary contributions to help alleviate human suffering in Africa.

Tostan means ``breakthrough'' in the Wolof language of Senegal. The efforts of Tostan have truly been a breakthrough in the West African countries in which it works. Tostan was founded by a University of Illinois alumna, Molly Melching. When Molly arrived in Senegal in the 1970s, she began teaching literacy through traditional African stories, songs, and theater. Later, in 1991, she founded Tostan, which began offering a community empowerment program that helped Africans address problems they found in their daily lives, while teaching reading, math, health, hygiene, problem solving, and management skills. In 1996, human rights and democracy components were added, with particular attention toward ending domestic violence and the exploitation of children, empowering women, and expanding health and education for all.

The Hilton award recognizes Tostan for its ability to empower African communities, focusing on change from within and from the ground up. Its program has helped reduce infant and maternal mortality, improve community health care and nutrition, reduce female genital cutting, and lower rates of domestic violence in the nine countries where it works. Thousands of women and children have learned to read and perform basic math and have used these skills to start local cooperatives, build stoves, and improve health care. It is not surprising, therefore, that Tostan has been recognized by others for its outstanding work, including by UNESCO, which called it ``one of the most innovative educational programs.''

Tostan's work deserves to be applauded and should receive our continued support. As one of the world's richest countries, we have a responsibility to help lift up the large numbers of people in our country and around the world who are still living in poverty. Again, I congratulate Tostan for its important work.

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