Mind of Malaka

18 Years a Mother

Posted on December 16, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I thought we were going to die. But before we did, I figured I'd get some orange juice to quench my thirst and hopefully quell the raging headache pulsing through the vein in the left side of my face. Orange juice has no cranial healing…

Musings

What’s In A Name? An Update on My 3rd Great Grandfather, Nelson Dunn

Posted on December 2, 2022
by Malaka
with 1 Comment

It was a balmy night in Nairobi; one where the leaves rustled melodically in the gentle breeze and the stars peeked through the veil of cloud cover to wink at we mere mortals below. Our working group had convened to have a final dinner together…

Musings

Happiness Is Alchemy. These Are the Elements I Have Been Using to Construct It.

Posted on November 14, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

A friend of mine has created The Happy Company (THC), a lifestyle brand that is "founded on the agenda to spread happyness". They prefer to remain anonymous (if such a thing is possible anymore) so that people will associate with and support the agenda, rather…

Musings

We Did Not Appropriate Your English. It Was Whipped Into Us.

Posted on September 29, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Mr. Tei loved to whip children. At least, that was the reputation he had earned on the primary school block when I arrived in 1986. Only ‘Brah’ Sammy came in at a close second with a love for attaching cane to tender Class 3 flesh.…

Motherhood

Separation Anxiety: Coming to Terms With Being Out of View From My Children

Posted on August 24, 2022
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

When you are preparing to bring a child into this world for the first time, there is no shortage of advice doled out to new parents. "Don't hold the baby too much, or she'll get spoiled!""Baby won't sleep? Let her cry it out through the…

Motherhood

“New African Mum” Parenting is Taking Your Daughters to a Burlesque Show

Posted on July 29, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Aya, my sweet and surly second born, turned 16 this month. It's difficult to believe considering that I just enrolled her in pre-school a few days ago. Nevertheless that's what the calendar says: My baby is officially in the first phases of young adulthood. Her…

Madness

My Face Has Become A Meme For “Lazy Single Motherhood.” Chisos.

Posted on June 29, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Ping!!I glanced down at my phone and saw a new message alert. It was my brother! I was beyond excited. Last night I was already floating on a high from the success of our family photo shoot and NOW the ancestors had blessed me with…

Motherhood

A Father’s Day Lament: When You Need Protection from Your “Protector”

Posted on June 22, 2022
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

A man places his phone on selfie mode and begins to record. The lens is angled from the floor up, so that we are able to see his feet advancing towards a child cowering in the corner. Both come into view. The man is hunched…

Musings

Sexting, Hook-Ups and Consent. Exploring Desire from a Pan-African Perspective

Posted on June 14, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

The good people at Ottar Magazine invited me to write an article about desire earlier this year. This article appears in Swedish, but if you're not up on your Nordic languages, I've got the English version for you here. @bougiefeminist, this post is just for…

GH2013

The Reveal: How Photographers Shoot Anyone Who Isn’t Thin, Able Bodied & “Conventionally” Beautiful

Posted on April 24, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I set my beverage down with a gentle thud and smiled generously, grateful to be surrounded by the laughter and reverie of friends I hadn't seen in years...some in over 20. Kwae Terrace, a swanky rooftop spot in Accra, offered all of the elements required…