Tostan: Respecting Culture, Enabling Positive Change
Tostan: respecting culture, enabling positive change
Molly Melching came to Kirkland recently to give a talk at the Kirkland Library. I was fortunate to be there because she is an impressive woman who has lived in Africa since her arrival there as a university student in 1974. Before attending her talk I knew nothing about her or her program, but was intrigued by the topic. Her remarks and the short video she showed, spurred me on to read the book written about her and the Tostan learning program she created. The book, entitled However Long the Night was written by Aimee Molloy and published in 2014.
Molly Melching’s experience and the book about her life and work have an important message for anyone who seeks to make positive changes in the world. Her success came after years of listening to the stories of local people in the community where she lived. She listened and observed so she could understand the needs the local people were concerned about. She then took a long-term approach, offering basic education to those who wanted to gain useful knowledge. Only after several years of expanded knowledge and skills did the women she worked with branch out into identifying and addressing problems they wanted to remedy.
Her program of education and action, named Tostan, which began in Senegal, has spread to many other countries in Africa. Some key characteristics include teaching in the local language of the community, using books and illustrations reflecting local life, and always working with groups of people who can support one another in the projects they pursue. The educational program begins with lessons regarding basic human rights and, over the course of years of work, has resulted in a dramatic reduction in domestic violence, child marriage, and female genital cutting. Individual communities have also had many other successes, such as improved water supplies, health centers, improved stoves, and other valuable accomplishments, all completed with the support of the local community leaders.
I highly recommend the book about her life and work. Here are some other resources that may be of interest:
Video introduction to the book.
Video in which Molly Melching tells about her work.
Wikipedia article which lists the many honors bestowed upon Molly Melching, as well as telling about her life.
The official website of the Tostan organization:
Information about the However Long the Night book
In today’s world we sometimes need to be reminded that one person can make a substantial impact in improving the lives of others, change often requires a long process, listening to others and valuing their perspectives is usually critical to a successful outcome.
Carolyn Hayek