Mind of Malaka

“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 0 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…

Madness

Young, Famous & African is a Turbulent Ride. Better Buckle Up!

Posted on March 25, 2022
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

Perspective: A few weeks ago, I took my family for a weekend getaway cabin stay in a coastal community called Brenton-On-Sea. The tiny enclave drips with opulence, generally, but not in such a way that is gaudy or ostentatious. It whispers old, confident money. New…

Madness

My New Filthy Obsession: Carpet Cleaning Videos

Posted on March 21, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Instagram is owned by Facebook, so it's impossible to say with certainty what algorithm the company used to determine just why a 44 year old African woman living in South Africa might be interested in watching someone scrub filth from woven wool and scrape it…

Motherhood

My Tween Son Doesn’t Like to Bathe, So I Used the Seuss Method to Explain the Importance of Personal Hygiene

Posted on March 15, 2022
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

My Boy turns 13 this Spring and just as he did during the toddler phase, he is hitting every single benchmark and milestone by the book. He's moody, ill-tempered, keeps a filthy bedroom and only takes instructions from his father. I have been content to…

Motherhood

The “Mommy Wars” Have Made it to Africa, and They Are Uglier Than Ever

Posted on March 8, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

They say fashion and trends recycle themselves every 20 years, so I suppose it should come as no surprise that the Mommy Wars - a dark and desolate time during the early days of social media - have reared its ugly head. In the early…

The South African Series

Gin and Gender: The Sexist History of My New Favorite Drink

Posted on February 22, 2022
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I have recently discovered South African craft gin and it has quickly become my go-to drink. As an African, Christian and granddaughter of whom I have been told were two raging alcoholics, I wouldn’t say I have a “difficult” relationship with spirits and brew, but…

Latest Products