However Long the Night: Molly Melching's Journey to Help Millions of African Women and Girls Triumph

by Aimee Molloy

Overview

In However Long the Night, Aimee Molloy tells the unlikely and inspiring story of Molly Melching, an American woman whose experience as an exchange student in Senegal led her to found Tostan and dedicate almost four decades of her life to the girls and women of Africa.

This moving biography details Melching's beginnings at the University of Dakar and follows her journey of 40 years in Africa, where she became a social entrepreneur and one of humanity's strongest voices for the rights of girls and women.

Inspirational and beautifully written, However Long the Night: Molly Melching's Journey to Help Millions of African Women and Girls Triumph is a passionate entreaty for all global citizens. This book is published in partnership with the Skoll Foundation, dedicated to accelerating innovations from organizations like Tostan that address the world's most pressing problems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062132796
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/06/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	786,032
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Aimee Molloy’s debut novel, The Perfect Mother, was a New York Times bestseller, and has been translated into more than twenty languages. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her family.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Book 1

1 Dogu gi (The Decision) 3

2 Xabaar bu Mag bi (Breaking the Silence) 17

3 Tawféex (Corning into Her Own) 25

4 Wàcc-bees bi (The Newcomer) 37

5 Teraanga ji (Welcome) 47

6 Tostan 55

7 Maasawu (Empathy) 61

8 Démb ak Tey (Yesterday and Today) 71

9 Njàng mu Xóot (Deep Learning) 83

10 Njàngale mi (Teaching) 91

11 Jabar ak Ndey (Wife and Mother) 101

12 Lu Guddi gi Yàgg-Yàgg (However Long the Night) 107

13 Sañ-Sañi Doom Aadama (Human Rights) 113

14 Ngir Sunuy Doom yu Jigéen (For Our Daughters) 123

15 Yeewu-Yeete (Showing the Way) 129

Book 2

16 Yewwiku (Deliverance) 139

17 Yoonu Diisoo (Choosing Dialogue) 147

18 Tànki Jàmm (Feet of Peace) 155

19 Biral gi (The Public Declaration) 167

20 Jëf, Gëstu (From Practice to Theory) 179

21 Alhamdulilaa (Thanks Be to God) 187

22 Njàmbaar (Courage) 199

23 Fajar gi (Dawn of a New Day) 213

24 Bàyyil Dex gi Daw (Let the River Flow) 225

25 Pas-pas (Perseverance) 233

26 Jant bi Dina Fenk (The Sun Will Rise) 241

Epilogue 245

Acknowledgments 251

What People are Saying About This

Lisa See

“Melching’s incredible journey from Illinois to Africa, from graduate student to great humanitarian, is paralleled by the journey of the countless women touched by her work: a journey to understanding, empowerment and human dignity.”

Editorial Reviews

Molly Melching saw a deeply disturbing but deeply entrenched practice and refused to accept that it couldn’t be stopped. Her relentless efforts are proof that commitment and partnership can drive transformational change.” — Hillary Rodham Clinton

“Melching’s incredible journey from Illinois to Africa, from graduate student to great humanitarian, is paralleled by the journey of the countless women touched by her work: a journey to understanding, empowerment and human dignity.” — Lisa See, bestselling author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

“The story of Molly Melching and Tostan proves that determined and loving individuals can accomplish the seemingly impossible—abandonment of a harmful tradition that is thousands of years old.” — Former President Jimmy Carter

“ There is no way to overestimate the gift that Tostan and its leader, Molly Melching, have given to the world. The amount of suffering they have alleviated is beyond anything we can gauge. What a story, what a power, and what a blessing.” — Marianne Williamson, New York Times bestselling author

“Molloy offers a moving account of one woman’s struggle to empower African women and challenge tradition…Reading like a novel, this book demonstrates the power of education and grassroots organizing.” — Publishers Weekly

“Melching’s transformation from Midwestern college graduate to thrill-seeking international crusader makes for compelling reading…Molloy has a reporter’s knack for selecting and arranging the most salient details of Melching’s experiences, and the resulting story is moving and memorable…Uplifting and inspirational.” — Kirkus Reviews

“This is the story of an extraordinary woman: Molly Melching. Molly has worked in Senegalese communities to improve lives of the country’s poorest people. . . . This book reinforced my belief that developing communities already have the potential to spark change that will lead to better lives for themselves and their families.” — Melinda Gates

From the Publisher

The story of Molly Melching and Tostan proves that determined and loving individuals can accomplish the seemingly impossible—abandonment of a harmful tradition that is thousands of years old.

Former President Jimmy Carter

Molly Melching saw a deeply disturbing but deeply entrenched practice and refused to accept that it couldn’t be stopped. Her relentless efforts are proof that commitment and partnership can drive transformational change.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

There is no way to overestimate the gift that Tostan and its leader, Molly Melching, have given to the world. The amount of suffering they have alleviated is beyond anything we can gauge. What a story, what a power, and what a blessing.

Marianne Williamson

This is the story of an extraordinary woman: Molly Melching. Molly has worked in Senegalese communities to improve lives of the country’s poorest people. . . . This book reinforced my belief that developing communities already have the potential to spark change that will lead to better lives for themselves and their families.

Melinda Gates

Melching’s incredible journey from Illinois to Africa, from graduate student to great humanitarian, is paralleled by the journey of the countless women touched by her work: a journey to understanding, empowerment and human dignity.

Lisa See

01/14/2013
Molloy offers a moving account of one woman’s struggle to empower African women and challenge tradition. Molly Melching, founder of the NGO Tostan in Senegal, went from a quiet life in small-town Illinois to running an educational organization that has had remarkable success in ending the practice of female genital cutting (FGC). This practice, known by most Senegalese women as “the tradition,” is intended to prepare a girl for marriage, and is performed by the women themselves. Most women consider the tradition to be a religious obligation required by the Koran, though the side effects include infections, childbirth difficulties, and even death. Melching, having lived in Senegal since 1974 as an exchange student, founded Tostan to set up classes in villages throughout the country to educate women on health, literacy, and human rights. After initial hesitation, they schooled students about the many health issues involved in FGC. In one village, women resolved to no longer cut their daughters, declaring so publicly in 1997. Native women and men travelled around the country to speak about the practice and convinced other villages to publicly end it. There is now the possibility of ending the practice in Senegal within one generation. Reading like a novel, this book demonstrates the power of education and grassroots organizing. Kristine Dahl, ICM. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"The story of Molly Melching and Tostan proves that determined and loving individuals can accomplish the seemingly impossible - abandonment of a harmful tradition that is thousands of years old."

Former President - Jimmy Carter

The story of American development worker Molly Melching's founding and expansion of Tostan, an NGO focused on bringing awareness of human rights and a sense of empowerment to people living in remote African villages. Melching's transformation from Midwestern college graduate to thrill-seeking international crusader makes for compelling reading. After arriving in Senegal in 1974 for what was supposed to be a six-month student-exchange program at the University of Dakar, Melching decided to live and work there permanently. She spent years working as a Peace Corps volunteer, translator and children's book author. In 1991, she founded Tostan, which has become a highly respected organization with an astonishing record of success. Most famous among Tostan's myriad accomplishments is the work that has led nearly 5,000 Senegalese village councils to declare that they are abandoning the centuries-old practice of female genital mutilation, a painful ritual that can lead to severe health problems and even death. Molloy (co-author: Jantsen's Gift: A True Story of Grief, Rescue, and Grace, 2009, etc.) has a reporter's knack for selecting and arranging the most salient details of Melching's experiences, and the resulting story is moving and memorable. In keeping with Tostan's focus on empowering Africans to drive change within their own communities, Molloy writes almost as much about Melching's courageous African mentors and colleagues as she does about Melching. The book's only serious flaw is Molloy's zeal for her subject. Although it's obvious that Melching is brilliant, hardworking, compassionate, humble and brave, some readers may long for at least a glimpse of a flaw. Molloy mentions that Melching has erred in both her professional and personal lives, but her mistakes are never as vividly drawn as her triumphs, and readers are left with the impression that she is more saint than human. Uplifting and inspirational, particularly for those interested in international development.

Kirkus Reviews