The event also witnessed the launch of a new strategic plan (SEP 2023\2030) dubbed ‘In partnership for community wellbeing’ as a map for scaling and implementation of programmes in various countries including The Gambia.’
The convergence held at Metzy, was graced by Tostan Gambia staff, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, lawmakers and other senior government officials. The national sharing seminar was aimed at sharing SEP with partners and to receive feedbacks so as to enhance collaboration and partnership support for its successful implementation.
Within the framework of their community Empowerment project implementation, Tostan remains upbeat in sharing its programme objectives, strategies, approaches as well as its implemented activities with partners.
At the start of the seminar, Edrissa Keita National coordinator Tostan, said the objective of the seminar seeks to build greater understanding, give a critical and potential partnership to enrich their new strategy plan.
Keita assured that they would be working with partners from now on to 2030 in order to have a better programming implementation and decision-making, noting that they would continue doing subsequent presentations to get the best from participants.
Ebrima Jabbo, executive director of NGO Affairs Agency, reminded that the new SEP is a followed-up to the old SEP, further expressing optimism that the strategic implementation will further strengthen the already existing positive impact which the old community empowerment project had on the lives of the people living in CRR and URR
Elena Banometti, chief executive officer (CEO) of Tostan, described the seminar as timely and a day of celebrating their accomplishment, developments and conceiving a vision for their future undertakings towards 2030, which has been a journey.
“In every celebration, there is a spirit of new beginning and they are galvanised and decide to depict the journey as their vision.”
Fatou Kinteh Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, said Tostan's meeting with its Gambian staff shows their high level of trust, commitment and confidence in ensuring close touch with their national team.
While urging the team to always ensure close link with their national team, Minister Kinteh equally noted that Tostan believes in bottom-up approach as it seeks to create conducive space, thus initiating participatory dialogue with community members.
Minister Kinteh described the move as something that should always be strengthened ‘if they are’ to develop capacities of communities towards sustainable community development.
