Mind of Malaka | Page 3 of 114 | Motherhood. Marriage. Madness

Exploited: The Day My Child Became the Face of African Poverty Porn

Posted on June 8, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

Sixteen years ago I used to run a satirical blog called Maizebreak.com. It is now defunct. I would write parodies of the real news, conjure crazy and unlikely stories and photoshop images for humorous effect. It was my African answer to The Onion, which I…

Motherhood

We’re Finally Getting Closer to Having Those Elusive ‘Happy Periods’

Posted on May 28, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

The 28th of May is Menstrual Hygiene Day! And you thought it was just another Monday. Surprise! Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) is a global platform that brings together non-profits, government agencies, the private sector, the media and individuals to promote Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM).…

Marriage

Should Your Spouse’s Enemies Also Be Your Enemies?

Posted on May 24, 2018
by Malaka
with 6 Comments

This might be shaking the table a bit, but we’re in the era of Black American bishops quoting MLK at royal English weddings; so what the hey. Marriage is a tricky thing. No matter what your views are about its sanctity and/or who should have…

Musings

Black Masquerade: When Feigning Joy Is A Defense Mechanism

Posted on May 10, 2018
by Malaka
with 3 Comments

When I pressed play on Donald Glover’s ‘This Is America’, I was completely unprepared for what was to transpire within the first 45 seconds of the visual masterpiece. There was Glover, shirtless, hair grown longer than usual, clad in nothing more than a pair of…

Musings

The Consistence of Casual White Violence

Posted on April 19, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

When I tell you this story, you’re going to swear I’m lying. But I ain’t lying. This really happened. An acquaintance of mine has been having financial difficulty ever since her freelance contract came to an end last year. As a fellow freelancer, my…

Musings

Moesha Boduong Isn’t A Disgrace. She Represents An Uncomfortable Reality

Posted on April 12, 2018
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

Last year, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour began production of her series Sex and Love Around the World, where she traverses the globe in order to investigate ‘unconventional’ expressions of intimacy and the unspoken rules that govern unorthodox relationships in different societies. I had the opportunity to…

Musings

The Dynamism Of Black American Naming

Posted on March 29, 2018
by Malaka
with 2 Comments

What’s in a name? Naming in African communities is an act steeped in tradition and, some say, one that comes with spiritual consequences for the bearer. Children are named to honor an ancestor, to reflect a significant event in a space in time, even to…

Motherhood

The Mercy of Teachers Who Embrace Failure

Posted on March 28, 2018
by Malaka
with 3 Comments

I often talk about the teachers who shaped both the writer and woman I am today. Not infrequently, I mention one teacher’s name with more regularity than any other. (Go to Door Number 5 to receive your prize if you smiled wryly and said, “Mr.…

Motherhood

Why Are Some Women Choosing Childbirth Over Marriage?

Posted on March 22, 2018
by Malaka
with 6 Comments

“There is no man more single than a married man in Joburg.” Joy FM host Naa Ashorkor Mensa-Doku wanted to know why modern women are choosing to have children outside of the confines of traditional marriage and there was no shortage of men waiting…

GH2013

It Will Probably Take A Zombie Apocalypse To Make Ghana Clean Again

Posted on March 20, 2018
by Malaka
with 0 Comments

This morning, I woke up in a panic. My heart was racing so furiously I thought it would tear through my rib cage and bounce its way out of my bedroom window. I had just dreamt of Ghana, and I was terrified by the vision…

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