Mind of Malaka

PEF: The (Not So) South African Ostrich

Posted on March 26, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

In late 2019, I visited the village of Sabuli in Upper West Ghana to conduct interviews for a book I've been "working on" for seven or eight years. (Time is irrelevant now.) For Ghanaians, it is customary for a visitor to bring a gift for…

Marriage

Married to Mental Illness

Posted on March 21, 2021
by Malaka
with 3 Comments

Much has been written and discussed about the devastating effects that the pandemic has had on mental health outcomes across populations and demographics. Towards the middle of last year, pediatricians reported record spikes in kids suffering from depression and anxiety. In older populations – a…

Photo Essay Friday

Photo Essay Friday: Murals and Mosaics

Posted on March 12, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

The locals in my town have a saying: “If you don’t like the weather in George, just wait ten minutes.” Nestled between a mountain range and the south Atlantic Ocean, the city’s weather mirrors the mercurial nature and migration patterns of the denizens of the…

Musings

A Positive View: How Changing How I Look At Mental Health is Helping me Heal

Posted on March 8, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

“Amuga! Amuuuuga!” This is what the children would shout after school during our long treks homeward in the blistering Accra heat. When emboldened, I would sometimes shout the word with them, and if the spirit - or whatever force guided the actions of the intended…

Photo Essay Friday

Photo Essay Friday: Victoria Bay

Posted on March 5, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Hello and greetings. Welcome to my new project! The Western Cape of South Africa boasts some of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. From azure blue ocean waters to mountains that rise suddenly from the planes like plumes hewn from ancient rock, there is…

Motherhood

Desirability is Social Currency, and Other Epiphanies From a Lovelorn Teen

Posted on March 2, 2021
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

“Mom? Do you have a minute?” Please ask me for help getting juice out of the fridge. Please as me to pour you a bowl of cereal… Of course, the voice asking me for my attention was many years past the need for such assistance.…

GH2013

It Benefits No Ghanaian to Take a Hardline Approach to LGBT Issues in Ghana; Especially Not Those Who Call Themselves Christians

Posted on February 25, 2021
by Malaka
with 1 Comment

The mystery of religion is its mercurial nature, its plurality. It is a tool that both harbors and wields incredible power. Religion has inspired the pursuit of scientific knowledge and been used as a mechanism to demonize that same pursuit. Religion has been used to…

Musings

What’s Your Relationship with Gifts?

Posted on February 23, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

I’m just going start this post off by professing my love for T. You make my world a livelier place and you bring animation to already colorful days. You are a gift and I love you. Speaking of gifts… During a recent two-hour long catch…

Motherhood

You’re Dating a Man Who Cannot Afford to Pay His Child Support. Should You Pay it For Him?

Posted on February 16, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Romans, friends, countrymen, lurkers and M.O.M readers; I come to you this day with the heat of blue flame coursing through my veins and the resolute determination of the water bear. Fear not! I come not with corona in my throat, but a question: Is…

Marriage

Why don’t I like Valentine’s Day?

Posted on February 14, 2021
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Valentine’s Day doth approacheth! *cue ominous theatrical score* Every year right around this time, an abundance of articles and think pieces appear on different corners of the Internet exploring the increasingly negative feelings people associate with Valentine’s Day. Mind of Malaka is no exception. I…

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