The Baobab: Afrika’s Oldest Museum

"Wisdom is like the Baobab tree. No one individual can embrace it." This one day, I must have forgotten who I was for a second and I started googling tattoo ideas- mainly the areas where people are most likely to get a Baobab tree tattoo. Bon, my friends why oh why did good ol’ Google …

Sacred stories of the Orishas

I did a previous blog introducing the worship and culture of Orishas. I noted that I would be going through some of the stories of the Orishas. In some societies, these stories are called Patakis- sacred stories that provide lessons and teachings to the community and aid them with maneuvering life and how to stay connected …

The Power and Significance of Afrikan Goddesses

I think if you read my blogs by now you know I am all things Afrika! So… Story time! This past semester I took a course called “Feminist theory” and you can imagine we talked about a lot of depressing things covered in equality and oppression. I had decided that I was going to have positive vibes …

Lessons from conversations with my past

Part one: {the intimate} I am 20 years old. This means, I was born 2 years after the Genocide against the Tutsi. If you know me, You know I breathe, eat and sleep Rwanda My life… is Rwanda And Rwanda… is my life. My drive in life… is Rwanda And when I say Rwanda I …

Reclaiming our identities through names: from Inès to Amata

{there is beauty. rhythm. songs. respect. dignity. pride. history. struggle. resistance. in my mother tongue. everything i forget when i borrow the white man’s language.} All transitions are hard. Nothing concerning change is easy. I know this because ever since I decided to, well not change, more like take on another name, it has been …

Dear media, please accept my decline to Pray for Paris.

Two days ago, on November 13th 2015, there was an attack on France by terrorists (allegedly a part of ISIS) that left approximately 128 dead and another 200 injured. After this was reported by literally all news sources; from CNN, BBC to FOX and The Guardian and New York Times, of course I would say …

Afrikan women’s projects that changed/are changing the world and we don’t hear about.

A few days ago I was having a conversation with a friend and I remember telling him that "when I was young, I wanted to see Afrikan womyn on television just so I could know that even I could be and do big." I wish mainstream media would highlight these strong, influential and of course …

A mother’s promise to her unborn Afrikan son.

When you get here, The world will be ready for you To receive you as another Black child, Another Afrikan child. But I promise you, You wont be. When you get here Even before you figure out How to open your eyes, You’ll already be labeled As the hungry sick Afrikan child! The world will …

The absence of Afrikan women in feminist dialogues.

When I got to college, I decided to take a gender’s studies courses because I thought hearing and learning about other women’s stories would be empowering and would help me find the sense of self-love I had been looking for all my life. I had always been the type of person that spoke her mind …

Unlearning lessons of injustice: The conscious decision of spelling AfriKa with a “K”

From birth, my parents wished and bestowed upon me blessings of wealth and prosperity through my name.  I am Giramata.  Born and raised in the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda- the heart of the fertile soils of Afrika.  When I was younger, for every holiday I packed my bags ready to leave my luxurious …