Hi fam! Welcome back to the blog. Thank you for always taking the time to come over and share in the journeys of black African women (bAw) seeking to see themselves right – through the eyes of Christ. We’re still in #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth and so I thought I would share my testimony in … Continue reading Mental Health Awareness Month: How God Released Me From Negative Strongholds by Sonia Dee
When I sit and think about the mental health landscape in South Africa, I am somewhat impressed with where we are as a country in becoming more aware of this growing predicament. This makes me excited about the future and the change yet still to take place in disseminating the stigma that surrounds mental … Continue reading Mental Health Awareness Month: A Love Story of Pain, Purpose and Faith by Babalwa Nkente
Hey sis! It’s been a whole minute – we know! 2019 keeps showing us flames, and we miss engaging you as frequently on this platform but we want you to know that we’re still here and still in your corner! We just wanted to stop by quickly and invite you to join us … Continue reading “Ebenezer: Thus Far the Lord Has Led Us” – An Interactive Session with the bAw Team this Friday!
So apparently, we're in month 6 of the year. Is it just me or does each month feel more intense than the last? Or the feeling that time is flying, and you can't quite get a grip of all that's happening around you. Or just a general out of control feeling? Even when you … Continue reading Burnt Out? Hit Refresh by Larissa Subira
It's 2 years later and this post is so bittersweet... I shared my struggle of feeling left behind by my peers in terms of my career, finances and love life. Fast forward to 2019 and the feeling is not so much there any longer and there have been more lessons learnt. I had … Continue reading The Struggle of Feeling Left Behind: A YouTube Live Conversation
Manhood has been a subject of discussion in recent times. With the emergence of Feminism, boys or men have become even more conscious about what being a man means. I remember growing up, young and ignorant, masculinity boiled down to sexuality and there was no debate about it. I later learnt that for … Continue reading Deconstructing Patriarchal Theology by Pastor Mente
A few of months ago I was on Twitter and saw a tweet of a group of Black ladies, based in the United States, wearing African inspired attire with the caption, “Wakanda Forever”. Another tweeter had retweeted that tweet with the caption, “You had 54 REAL African countries to choose from”. I totally identified … Continue reading The Black Panther Aftermath: A Reflection of Our Shared Truth by Lerato Oguntoye
May is a month of celebration on the continent of Africa. “Why?”, you may ask. Well on the 25th of May 1963 the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union, was formed. The aim behind the founding of this organization was to enforce and encourage the unity of the continent and for the political … Continue reading What Anchors You? by Larissa Subira
Good morning! Welcome to the middle of a very short week! I’m so thrilled that it’s about to be a looong weekend on this side of the world. Before we get into the festivities of Easter, I thought I’d drop you a quick note around our upcoming Natural Hair Event and why you … Continue reading In Relationship With My Natural Hair: A High Tea Event
Hey lady! Happy Wednesday and welcome to a brand new month! We have entered the second quarter of the year and I hope you’ve managed to press the refresh button in preparation for what is essentially a new chapter. Larissa had the opportunity and honour to sit with Ms Thuli Zulu, a woman … Continue reading In Conversation with Thuli Zulu by Larissa Subira
Morning bAwses! Welcome to our weekly catch-up on all things to do with black girl magic on the African continent 😊 I know it’s only been a week, but I have missed you. I hope you’re good sis. Today, we are sharing a life-changing conversation that our Content Manager, Larissa, had with … Continue reading International Women’s Month: In Conversation with Ancillar Nombewu
Hey Fam And Happy Wednesday once again! How’s your week been lady? I hope it hasn’t been all that bad. Mine has been crazy busy! Ever had a day where you literally wish you could be Joshua and get God to make time stand still? This has been me all week. Lol! Not … Continue reading Cyclone Idai – Here’s How We Can Help
Happy Wednesday! I hope the month of March has been good to you so far. I must say on my end it’s been generally good with random incidences like wasps and spiders at my place (shivers). Nevertheless, I keep reminding God that He promised that He’s my Husband while I’m single and needs to … Continue reading bAw African Love Series Season 2: Culture vs Faith in Relationships (Episode 4)
Morning Lady And Happy New Month 😊 How are you doing sis? What has been taking up most of your time for the first quarter of 2019? Whatever it is that’s been keeping you pre-occupied, I sincerely hope that you’ve managed to find a good balance and that you’re becoming more of … Continue reading Be Open: A Breakfast Conversation
Morning fam! How are you doing? No - really doing? It’s only the end of Feb but to me it feels like December already with rapid pace with which life is moving! I hope and pray you’re soaking up each moment as you go and trying your best to enjoy the 2019 God pre-ordained … Continue reading bAw African Love Series Season 2: Leroy & Georgia (Episode 3)
Hi bAwses! I hope you’re basking in the beauty of the “Month of Love” 😊 It’s my favourite month of the year – not just because it’s my birth month - but also because love emanates from God Himself and love builds up, encourages and revitalizes a person. Last week we began Season … Continue reading bAw African Love Series Season 2 : Sandile & Sabi (Episode 2)
Hi Family! Today’s post is short and sweet – more of an announcement really. As we briefly mentioned last week, today we are sharing the first video from Season 2 of our African Love Series! Navigating the issue of love as African Christians is something that many of us grapple with as young … Continue reading bAw African Love Series S2: Cain & Nomusa (Episode 1)
This month, as many around the world celebrate the month of love, the question often arises as to how a b.a.w (black African woman) can balance the competing cultures she finds herself in. We are fed many images of romance from the books and magazines we read; our favourite Shonda Rhimes shows; and the music we … Continue reading Who’s Wedding Is It Anyway? by Larissa Subira
When I began writing this post, it had a different angle. The year was new, I was doing well, my girlfriends were sharing their testimonies on how God has come through for them. God had blessed my own ventures too, doors literally started opening in 2019. And then Lupus… I was hospitalised 2 weeks … Continue reading Guard The Avenues Of Your Soul by Nompumelelo Simango
The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9) New Year’s resolutions, new goals and new chapters were set and probably executed by the 1st of January. That's awesome. However, there are some people who did not have the ability or desire to plan for the year because … Continue reading Where Are You? by Sithabile Sibanda
Hey fam Happy New Year to those I haven’t yet wished! I know we’re well into the first month and the year may not feel as new, but it’s never too late to wish the best for others for what’s ahead. It’s 21:25 on Tuesday and I’m exhausted. I had a … Continue reading What You Can Look Forward To At bAw In 2019
Today is the final instalment of our three-part fictional series on Nosi, a young married woman struggling with the resentment she has developed after losing a baby and the love in her marriage. In our last post, she had begun her journey to healing yet she still felt empty and lost. Find out how … Continue reading Resentment: The Silent Killer (Part III) by Vee Nkambule
Today’s post is part two of a three-part fictional series. It is a continuation of the story about Nosi, a young married black African woman, who lost her unborn baby as well as the love in her marriage. She’s also lost her faith and has a lot of resentment that has built up over time. … Continue reading Resentment: The Silent Killer (Part II) by Vee Nkambule
Today’s post is fictional but it certainly touches on issues that young black African women are facing even as Christians: Sex outside of marriage. Miscarriages. Merely existing in their marriages. Read on and catch a glimpse into the world of someone you may know but are not aware is dealing with issues that lead to … Continue reading Resentment: The Silent Killer (Part I) by Vee Nkambule
Hi fam The month of November has the world focused on activism against abuse and violence in our society. We at bAw chose to focus on this topic as well, but we chose to offer insights into it from the parties to abuse that are rarely ever heard from. One of those is … Continue reading It’s Complicated by Anonymous
Good morning fam Today’s blog post rounds off our theme for the month which has been Mental Health and Sisterhood. Taffy shares her personal experience with becoming healthier physically as well as mentally and emotionally, and why this is key for us as women. Enjoy this candid and uplifting post. I remember being … Continue reading #BodyGoals: A Holistic Look At Women’s Health by Taffy Dube
Hi fam This month, we have been focused on mental health and sisterhood – how our friendships form part of us cultivating a healthier mindset. Today’s post is by one of our bAw team members and she provides 6 important qualities of a good friend. Enjoy! I don’t know about you … Continue reading Does Your Tribe Do This For You? by Larissa Subira
Slavery was one of the cruellest systems created by mankind and one that continues to negatively impact us as black people whether or not we acknowledge it. It has altered our minds, our DNA, our relationships, and our identity. It has also had an adverse impact on our familial relationships. Today’s post is by … Continue reading Loveless by Ashanda McCants
Greetings bAw Family I hope you had a wonderful long weekend for those in South Africa, and that you managed to celebrate your roots and beginnings. Today we share a post by an anonymous married woman. She opens up about the heart-ache she has experienced in marriage. I honestly thought long and … Continue reading The Life Of A Single Married Woman by Anonymous
Hey fam! Today’s post is a bit different. It’s more of an exciting announcement for our ladies in Johannesburg (and those willing to come down)! bAw is proud to present the sequel to the H.E.R. (Healing, Exhaling, Reflecting) Hike — H.E.R. Retreat. Who is the H.E.R. Retreat for? For the … Continue reading bAw Event: H.E.R. Retreat 2018
Swazi is a returning contributor to our blogsite. She penned the piece, Diary of a Young Married Woman in May this year which resonated with a number of women. We’re glad to have her share her experiences in marriage after a year. Enjoy 🙂 A year has passed, WOW! Sometime this year, I was … Continue reading The Honeymoon Phase by Swazi
Happy Friyay fam!! Today’s a truly special day for us because we’ve been recognized as one of the Top 10 Black Christian Blogs on the web by Feedspot! It’s honestly a surreal moment and one that my team and I certainly were not expecting. Thank you Feedspot for the recognition! What it … Continue reading Black African Woman Blog in Feedspot Top 10 Black Christian Blogs!
Isabelle is a humble, 33-year old woman from Rwanda who is currently the President and Founder of Solid’Africa. Solid Africa is a Non-Government Organization (NGO) that supports vulnerable patients in public health facilities by providing them with food, clearing their medical bills and paying for their bus fares home amongst other things. Isabelle is … Continue reading Women’s Month Post: In Conversation With Isabelle Kamariza
Hey fam! Happy Women’s Month to every Warrior Princess reading this here post today. And of course, happy Women’s Day for tomorrow! For Women’s Month we decided to search for the Sheroes in our communities who are making waves to positively impact their communities regardless of the size of their audience. Women … Continue reading Women’s Month Post: In Conversation With Lesego Ntsoele
Hey fam I know, it's been forever since I shared here. I've enjoyed the powerful stories that every day people have willingly shared on this platform lately, and taking in lessons from their amazing experiences. And honestly, life has just been crazy busy that getting down to writing has been difficult. Today though, … Continue reading How To Find A Mentor (And It’s Not What You Think) by Sonia Dube
There’s always been something unsettling about how we were taught about prayer. During the early days of our spiritual formation, we were bombarded with how prayer was a way of talking to God, because if we didn’t, then God would be lonely. It was always presented as a duty we needed to carry out, … Continue reading Meaningful Prayer by Pastor Sdu Blose
Growing up, prayer was just something I learnt to do through my great aunts, great grand-parents and grand-parents. You recited prayers for meal time, and mornings and evening time in the form of Psalm 23 or the model prayer - The Lord's Prayer ( Matthew 5:13). Reciting prayers did not include a personal knowing of who God was or His desire to be known, … Continue reading Our Miseducation About Prayer by Gail Masondo
It’s half-time in the year 2018 and we at bAw are preparing to take stock of our lives so far, and to allow God to guide us in finishing the year strong! August is women’s month in South Africa, and we would like to spend time with our lovely bAw sisters out in God’s … Continue reading H.E.R. Hike 2018
Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) I grew up in a Christian home, went to church every week and tried not to break any commandments. Over time church going seemed like a routine and prayer wasn't important, until about four years or so ago. I had reached a point where I was … Continue reading Prayer: A Weapon Not Used Often by Sithabile Sibanda
We have come to our final instalment of our African Love Series thus far! In celebration of #YouthMonth in South Africa, our final instalment of this series features a young couple. She’s a beautiful coloured woman from South Africa, and her hubby is a black African man from Kenya. In this … Continue reading bAw African Love Series: Andrew & Claudene Adar (Episode 3)
Perhaps it’s the manner in which my mind works that I feel any blanket statement is a dangerous one. I’m not really able to speak for all men about all men. I am speaking on what I know, which is what I’ve seen in the last 30 years. In my view, in general, there … Continue reading What I Wish Women Understood About Men by Landry Subira
PART 2 In part one we looked at what seems to be the blueprint from God on roles when relating to our better half. We are now going to look at the aspect of "loving" a man. To ensure that these were not just my thoughts I decided to do a small survey … Continue reading Loving Him Right: Part 2 by Simon Bwerinofa
PART 1 People have all sorts of opinions about romantic relationships often informed by past experiences or seasons. In terms of negative opinions around these types of relationships, you generally find 2 stories which either begin with “Men /women are xxx” or “Relationships are xxx”. We often like to blame situations, conditions and … Continue reading Loving Him Right: Part 1 by Simon Bwerinofa
Hlano is the creator of Their Marriage which is a personal blog intended to be a resource for married folk to know they aren’t alone in the journey & let them know that what they’re going through is normal. It is also intended to be a resource for single folk to get the truth about … Continue reading Sponsored Post: Sometimes It Is All About Me – Marital Self-care Essentials by Hlano
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT) For the month of May, we at bAw were focused on the gift of Motherhood and the joys, … Continue reading bAw African Love Series: Sebastine & Madi Alagwu (Episode 2)
My Mother’s Daughter Photo Cred: Agen Judi Bola Tumblr Strange. Mysterious. Confusing. Strong. Fearsome. These are the words 10 year old me would use to describe the quiet woman who birthed me. The intimidating presence whose silence carried so much weight that an entire conversation was had without a single word … Continue reading From My Mother’s Daughter To My Daughter’s Mother by Sbongile Lugube
I am Zimbabwean. And proudly so. I love to represent my country and people where I can. I take issue, however, when it comes to how unrealistic and reckless my people can be when it comes to matters of money. Yes, it is a product of poverty and struggle, but maaaaan, why … Continue reading Diary Of A Zim Girl Trying To Live It Real by Rumbidzayi
It was Zumba Tuesday and my daughter, JC, and I had just arrived home from the gym. I love that our neighborhood gym allows me to work hard on keeping my cellulite in check while my kid has access to a jungle gym, arts and crafts and new friends. This particular Tuesday, on … Continue reading Motherhood On A Scale Of Light To Dark by Ehui Osei-Mensah
“Congratulations on your engagement!” they said. “When is your wedding?” they asked. Bridal shower came, advice was given and then wedding day happened. We said our vows, in sickness and in health, for better for worse, till death do us part. Woman are you hearing yourself? Now, marriage is an institution by God … Continue reading Diary Of A Young Married Woman by Swazi
1 John 4:18 states that, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Tomorrow, 27 April is a special day for South Africa. It is the day that the first free and democratic … Continue reading bAw African Love Series: Victor & Gail Masondo (Episode 1)
