Partnership with DCS Academy

Since 2017, the Dynamic Champions of Sisterhood (DCS)-- a cross-cultural, virtual book club platform --has been partnering with College Monfant to empower girls in both the US and Togo to change the world starting with ourselves. We believe that beyond education alone, how we girls feel about ourselves is the greatest determinant of our success. Using books as our tools, together we engage in discussions that expand our views, help us develop self-awareness, process feelings, and believe our ideas matter.

Reading in and of itself is a powerful, transformative experience, inspiring young readers trying to make sense of the world. But reading with a group of supportive “sisters” from a wider variety of backgrounds has led to powerful shifts in how we girls now see the world, as well as the importance of our roles in it.

As butterflies emerging from our cultural isolation, together we named our reading partnership: Les Papillons.

In past years we’ve mainly read West African classics, however this year (2021) we’ve expanded the College Monfant library by adding books that:

· Feature intelligent, independent African female characters and strong role models.

· Provide empowering themes including thriving, post-colonial African societies.

· Counter negative stereotypes of Africa by illuminating its rich culture, history, and modern-day heroes.

· Illuminate other global communities, settings, and points of view to help our Togolese sisters connect with the larger world.

Books include:

“The Number One Ladies’ Detective Agency” series; mystery stories set in Botswana, featuring Mma Ramotswe--the brilliant agency owner who always cracks the case. Themes include African women in traditional vs. nontraditional occupations, social relations in traditional African society, Christianity and traditional belief systems, and feminism, as well as pressing issues such as AIDS/AIDS orphans, clinical depression, domestic violence, and marital infidelity.

“Aya of Yop City” series; graphic novels set in Côte d'Ivoire featuring empathetic, teenage Aya who helps her community deal with various dilemmas. Aya books encompass an overall theme of African nationalism, exhibited through familial and social ties within the Ivorian community. From teen romance to parental resentment, Aya offers a unique glimpse into the daily lives of Africans.

Books authored by Wangari Matthai, the female Kenyan activist and Nobel winner teaching about environmentalism.

· “Unbowed” tells how Matthai became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in East and Central Africa, head a university department in Kenya, take on the repressive Kenyan government, and discover how planting trees could empower local communities to determine their own future.

· “The Challenge for Africa” examines the complex and dynamic nature of the African continent, offering a mix of hope, options, and ways that all Africans can get involved.

· “The Green Belt Movement” shares how one woman’s idea grew into a network of hundreds of thousands of people who have planted tens of millions of trees throughout Kenya, as well as how people worldwide can create environmental change.

Universal Classics:

· “Les Miserables” set in 19th Century France

· “The Alchemist” set in 19th Century Spain/Northern Africa

· “The Diary of Anne Frank” set in 20th Century Amsterdam,

· “I am Malala” set in 21st Century Pakistan.

West African Classics:

· “Sundiata”-- the epic tale of the boy who overcame childhood struggles to become the founder of the Mali Empire.

· “The Dark Child”-- a coming of age story set in post-colonial French Guinea.

· “The Black Cloth”-- a collection of beloved African folktales passed down through generations of oral storytelling.

Book clubs are facilitated by a Friends of College Monfant volunteer translator/coordinator and the Director of College Monfant.