Tostan
Gambia in partnership with Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL)
International Office in Dakar, Senegal recently conducted regional and district
information sharing seminars for regional Technical Advisory Committee (TAC),
District chiefs, National Women Councilors, Ward Councilors, MDFTS and
community participants at the Upper River Regional education conference hall in
Basse-Mansajang.
The
forums were meant to share Tostan’s Community Empowerment Programme (CEP)
objectives, strategies, approach and state of implementation of activities with
partners in the region to obtain feedback and recommendations from the
partners; to map a way forward and enhance programming and performance.
Edrisa
Keita, Tostan Gambia national coordinator explained that the seminar is an
annual event that aims at sharing information with partners about Tostan
Community Empowerment Programme and to share their final evaluation results of
the programme implemented in 30 Fula communities in URR from 2014 to 2016.
He
divulged that the Tostan strategic engagement plan 2016 to 2022 that covered
three key areas of sustainability, impact and scale will be discussed with
partners. “The forum demonstrates the spirit of participatory and sustainable
development for stakeholders and communities to take ownership of the CEP and
also to get feedback from government partners at regional level and communities
on the results of the project, lessons learnt and best practices.”
Yadi
Nget, regional coordinator of CADO thanked Tostan for their open door policy
and sense of sharing all their programme information with their partners and
communities over the years. The partners, he said could help Tostan in ensuring
that meaningful development work is done and communities take lead role for
sustainability.
Deputy
Governor of URR Omar Sey spoke at length on the significance of the information
seminar meeting, saying Tostan’s great work and contribution in the lives of
people and communities in the region is impressive. “I have no doubt that the resources put into
the project have not been wasted in any way.”
Deputy
Governor Sey challenged the grassroots NGO to live up to expectation in
ensuring that they scale up their programmes to other regions, while urging the
participants to fully participate and share the information at their various
institutions and at all levels.
Lamin
Fatty, MERL focal point shared the final evaluation report of the project
implemented from 2014 to 2016. The result areas shared with partners and
communities were on governance and human rights, education, health, environment
and economic development.