Tostan is a grassroots-based organization that works with African communities toward sustainable development and positive social change. “Tostan” is a word from the West African language Wolof meaning “breakthrough.” Their main focus is a 30-month comprehensive program that provides participants with an overview of, and practical skills in, areas including microeconomics, human rights, and health. The program has two major components: the Kobi, which focuses on democracy and human rights, problem solving, health, and hygiene; and the Aawde, which teaches literacy and economic concepts.
One of Tostan’s more high-profile successes has been the abandonment of FGC in thousands of villages. However, the organization’s Jokko Initiative caught my eye one day when a blog entry came up on my Facebook news feed. The word “jokko” means “communication” in Wolof. Tostan, with UNICEF, teaches participants to use cell phones, particularly SMS (text-messaging), to access and spread information and communicate with other members of the community. During one of the site visits, they sat in on several classes at different centers during the Jokko module. One of the lessons, “SMS and Health,” focuses on the health-related utility of cell phones. I corresponded with Guillaume Debar, Tostan International Project Manager, to learn more about the Jokko Initiative and the health module in particular.
Photo taken from the Jokko Initiative blog.
Participants follow along on the Nokia 1202 handsets provided by Tostan in the classroom.
JK: I’ve read a little bit about your 30-month comprehensive community empowerment program (of which, by the way, I am a huge fan). Where does the Jokko initiative fit in?
GD: The Jokko Initiative’s activities are part of the Community Empowerment Program (CEP). We incorporate the capacity-building module on mobile phone in the third year of the CEP – the Aawde. The SMS applications Tostan develops are implemented during the course of the Aawde too, but remain at the communities’ disposal after the Tostan program ends, so they can be used for enhancing community dialogue and practicing newly acquired skills in literacy.
JK: Does the Jokko initiative teach participants to read from scratch, or does it build on a literacy program?
GD: Jokko is part of the third year of the CEP, which consists of a basic literacy module, practical mathematics module, and a project management module. The participants learn to read, count and write first, and then they are trained on texting, navigation in the phone’s menu and use of applications like the phone calculator. So in theory, all participants who start the new Jokko module have basic skills in literacy in the national language (Tostan specifically works in national languages). However, the facts that Tostan only teaches basic literacy skills and that mobile phones in Senegal are only available in French (which we don’t consider a national language) make us heavily rely on the iconic system (a drawing and a word) for teaching mobile phone usage.
JK: How do people who live in such remote areas purchase or pay for cell phone service? Do they buy the phones pre-paid, or do they go into town periodically to pay a bill?
GD: In Senegal, they buy credit charging cards (Orange, Tigo and Expresso are the 3 telcos present in Senegal). These cards range from 1,000 FCFA [Communauté Financière Africaine franc] to 10,000 FCFA. There is also a system developed by the telcos (a microfranchise system) that allows small “boutiquiers” to sell small amounts of credit (starting 100 FCFA) by a phone-to-phone transfer. Because people can’t usually afford to pay a 1,000 FCFA credit card, this transfer system is a big hit.
JK: What health-related functions are taught in session 12? Are there any additional health-related benefits or uses to which the women are applying the cell phones? The blog mentions spreading awareness about vaccinations and making clinic appointments. Are there any others that you commonly see?
GD: Some of the examples we give include:
- getting information on illnesses and epidemics and how to combat them at the community level;
- spreading news about vaccination and screening campaigns;
- announcing distribution of medicines or mosquito nets;
- making appointments with a doctor or hospital;
- letting others know that a medical office is closed; and
- requesting health- or safety-related advice from NGOs such as Tostan.
We also teach a module on sanitation and the environment, which contains some related concepts. For example, participants discuss using SMS to alert community members if there is a problem such as a contaminated well that is causing illness and to research information on how to properly treat the water. Other examples include organizing cleaning waste in the community, seeking advice on using pesticides and agricultural chemicals, and alerting community members about brush fires and other hazards.
JK: Thank you so much for agreeing to talk to me about your program. I’m a huge fan of Tostan’s grassroots approach – as a new public health professional, it’s really refreshing to see an effective program in action. Keep doing the great work that you do!
