PATHWAYS TOGO INC
Educating Women. Empowering The World.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The barriers to education and financial security are many, for Togolese girls and women. Pathways Togo seeks to address some of these challenges by removing financial barriers to education, and supporting our scholars in coping with other challenges, ranging from sexual harassment to unsupportive families.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Pathways Togo Scholarship Program
Pathways Togo is dedicated to advancing the education of women and girls in Togo through educational scholarships which remove all financial obstacles to our scholars' success.
The gap between women's and men’s education in Togo is profound. In fact, girls in Togo have less than a 50% chance of graduating primary school. While 89% of Togolese girls enroll in primary school, by the time those girls reach secondary school, the enrollment rate drops to fewer than 30%.
By helping our scholars afford tuition, school supplies, and uniforms, Pathways gives women the tools they need to reach their full potential. A Pathways Togo scholarship can change a woman’s life forever and allow her to bring that change to her community and to her world. Pathways Togo scholarships are available to Togolese girls and women enrolled as full-time students in middle school ($50/year), high school ($100/year), and university ($200/year).
Pathways Togo Annual Conferences
At each annual conference, scholars receive their scholarships, participate in educational enrichment programs, and have a rare opportunity to focus on personal and professional growth away from the many demands of everyday life. Through interactive workshops and panels, critical thinking and creative activities, one-on-one interviews, and communal meals, the conferences allow students to learn from one another while cultivating self-confidence and leadership skills. Sessions focus on topics such as study skills, applying to college, budgeting to manage scholarship funds, reproductive health, sexual harassment, public speaking, and positive communication. Scholars also draft action plans for the upcoming year to maximize the benefits of their scholarships.
Mentors participate in the conferences as well and attend specialized sessions designed to enhance their capacity as a mentor. The conferences strongly reinforce the scholar/mentor team dynamic and ensure each pair is able to communicate and respond to any issues when they do arise in their villages and local communities.
Pathways Togo Mentoring Program
Each scholar is matched with a mentor who lives in or near her village and understands
first-hand the unique local challenges students face. The role of the mentor is to serve as a guide, offering both academic and emotional support. Pathways staff communicate with the mentors throughout the year to monitor scholars’ progress.
Mentors play a vital role in the success of our scholars. Young women in Togo face enormous social and academic challenges to pursuing an education. Societal pressures in Togo often demand girls marry young, remain responsible for a majority of household chores, and even have difficulty in finding a well-lit place to study at night. By pairing each scholar with a local female mentor, Pathways staff have a set of eyes and ears in each local community and can thus advocate for our scholars when necessary.
Pathways Togo Leadership and Life Skills Training
In order to maximize the value of our scholarship program, Pathways Togo aggressively advocates for an enhanced education model. Our holistic approach encourages our scholars to be active in their communities and engage in leadership activities whenever possible.
The Leadership and Life Skills Program includes the following activities and services:
The Karen Waid Dream Award: Named after a deceased Peace Corps Volunteer, this award provides funding for several scholars to implement small-grant projects that will benefit their local communities.
University Technical and Computer Classes: These classes are open to all university scholars in order to improve computer, research and overall technological skills in order to improve career prospects after University. This course is particularly important as such an opportunity does not exist in Togo and most students are not able to master even basic technological skills.
Career Specialist: Located in our head office, our career specialist is able to provide individualized career support and advice for those scholars nearing the end of High School.
Media and Awareness Raising Campaigns: These events are organized by Pathways Togo staff and volunteers but made possible by each of our scholars. These campaigns are selected organically by the scholars themselves and target a particular issue each year. Previous campaigns include a female empowerment demonstration in collaboration with InsideOut, and most recently the Art of Awareness, a grassroots effort to combat the public ignorance of sexual harassment in Togo.
Pathways Togo Scholar Oversight and Administration
The Scholar Oversight and Administrative Program ensures that our scholars are in contact with Pathways staff and are on the road to success. Activities and services include:
Full-time staff and volunteers to oversee all programming and administrative tasks
Maintaining regular contact with scholars and their respective mentors and communities
Outreach and collaboration with Pathways Togo partners, including the United States Peace Corps and Togolese NGO PAHCS
Where we work
External reviews
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Pathways Togo is committed to improving the lives of young girls in Togo through the power of a good education. Our holistic scholarship model is designed to address the issue of gender disparity in education by addressing the issue from every angle. Our organizational goals are in line with the belief that every child deserves an education.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Each scholar is assigned a marraine, or mentor, that provides logistical and emotional support throughout their educational tenure as a Pathways Togo scholar. In addition, Pathways Togo has an annual life skills conference in which scholars learn the skills they need to bring their education and knowledge to their communities. The Karren Waid Dream Award provides an opportunity for scholars to implement service projects that fill a need in their communities. They work closely with Peace Corps volunteers to design and execute these projects.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have a staff of three people in Togo, who are supported by Peace Corps volunteers.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We currently have a number of scholars in university, including one scholar in medical school in Cuba. We have been able to provide laptops to our scholars, thanks to generous donors. We also have been able to increase the number of scholars we can support from middle school to university.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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PATHWAYS TOGO INC
Board of directorsas of 06/27/2019
Joseph Mahach
Laurie Segel-Moss
Founding Director; American Univeristy
Alice Koehler
Joseph Mahach
Emily Goldsmith
Patrick Roisen
Nadia McInnis
Nancy Cavillones
Meghan McCloskey Boydston
Stephanie Palmer
Danielle Naugle
Shea Flynn
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes