“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” - Luke 6:38 

The concept of Lent to me has never been something I've ever observed or even taken into consideration - probably because it wasn't part of my upbringing. Then I stumbled, quite literally, across the movement that is '40acts' started by the Christian charity 'Stewardship' - with an aim to challenge people in the everyday to give more freely. Some of the acts are seem really small an example being on Tuesday the act of giving joy to someone in the form of chocolate - Andre Spence documented his act of giving on his Instagram if you're interested in looking. Chocolate can literally cost pennies and yet has the ability to bring a child like joy to people - which has reminded me to appreciate the small things life has to offer a lot more. Usually, you hear a lot of people giving up chocolate for lent and failing then feeling a way about it - the act of giving then gives you the ability to share more.

Yesterday, the 8th day of Lent, the challenge was to 'Bring life' in the form of blood donation. This has always been something I've been intrigued by over the last year - I couldn't give prior because of my tattoo then this triggered me to look into it again. Giving blood within the black and other ethnic minority groups isn't practised as much with less than 5% of donors in the last year being from these backgrounds - yet we form almost 15% of the population. This number is crucial in light of the number of patients that require constant blood transfusions - particularly those with Sickle cell from the black community and Thalassaemia in the Asian and Mediterranean communities. Some blood groups are a lot rarer to find and have been seen to be most prevalent within the black community - so surely we should collectively aim to give and give freely if we're able to.





The act of giving challenges you to put yourself at a lower place to humble yourself - knowing that all you have within you has the ability to be shared and used by people who desperately need it. If I was being completely honest, the thought of blood makes me sick as in the anxiety that built up in me to donate was overwhelming. In reality, the blood that you donate replenishes itself in less than a month - which you won't even notice go by if you really deep it. The average person can give up to 6x a year - why don't you start with giving once?


Check if you're eligible to give at www.blood.co.uk  - if there's anything to take away from this post is to give and to give freely. You never know what your giving will do. 

Photographer - Ezekixl Akinnewu.

8th March. International women's day. A single day for the appreciation of women.


To think this day has existed for over a century is almost unfathomable knowing how far women have come since then - yet acknowledging how far we have to go. This day was created by the Socialist Party of America, although it's unclear what the purpose of the day ultimately was, allowing for the celebration and acknowledgement of women. Our history as a gender teaches us the lengths to which those before us had to go for things we now take for granted - from the vote to the roles we have been able to take in society. Unfortunately, what's clear is that the equality that we are working towards fails to be acknowledged on a global scale - with many women still struggling to find a voice. This day for many is a time to honour womanhood and everything that it encapsulates yet, some don't even know the day exists - or see it as their only time to be vocal and protest.

Women's day to me goes beyond celebrating and appreciating the women around me but realising the steps that need to be taken for a 'balanced society'. #Balanceforbetter, as a campaign, is exactly what needs to be brought to light for this years Women's day as shown by the IWD organisers. A balanced parliament, a balanced boardroom across the financial districts of London, a balance in our wealth and ultimately a balance of rights. What makes me proud as an ethnic woman, is to know that non Caucasian nations are leading the way in establishing a balance in government - the center of change. Rwanda, a country that has faced atrocities in the past decade, leads with women forming over 60% of their government. Growth is happening and what is ironic is it's Africa paving the way - showing that this is possible. Let's not even get into that...



Although today collectively celebrates all women, black women raised and made me - today I celebrate you. Black women's influence on current pop culture, fashion and ability to shift the routes taken isn't acknowledged. Trend setters in our own right - yet when such 'trends' are seen on us they can be seen as 'ghetto' and ultimately socially unacceptable. From the long acrylic nails auntie from church has been having since the beginning of time to the art of wig wearing - black women have caused a new evolution in the paths of pop culture.

I applaud all black women for their boldness in being carefree - embracing the roots of their heritage wholly and in such a wholesome way. The diversity in our melanin should be celebrated not just for the beauty in it's appearance, but for the stories and history that are embedded in the tones. Dark skin women are only glorified on social media and almost made into a fetish - depleting them of their worth and richness. Patricia Bright puts it simply 'rich in colour, rich in life'.

Uganda // photographer @dazzle_jam

Learning to embrace what makes me a black woman was shown to me by other black women in my life - so to honour that here's a short piece:


A Letter To My Women.

Black woman, may your crown flourish in length and achieve bounds you couldn't imagine -
your 'fro exceed the power it already holds.
Black woman, may your roots ground you - hold you. Since the world does not.
Black woman, let your skin glow - your shea butter reflect the light you are.
Black woman, be bold and hold no regret in being unapologetically you.
Black woman, without you - where would we be?
Black woman, the bigger the hoop the bigger the goals.
Black woman, continue to overachieve - our army is rising.
Black woman, you are magic. Majestic.
Black is beauty.
Black is change.
Above all, black is you.


If anything, I pray that the daughters that God blesses us with have the ability to be carefree and unapolagetically black women in society. To be able to experiment freely in the journey that is embracing everything that is being a woman.

What remains wild and incomprehensible to me at this moment in time is the fact that we are 3 months into the new year already - almost hitting our first quarter. Taking time to reflect is usually a norm for me, however at the rate I've noticed the year going at it's made me notice that time to take a moment to breathe is becoming less frequent. 2019 for many people began as a year that had a type of significance to them, whether that be self growth and development or a year of fresh goals and aspirations. As a Christian, I know that I'm not alone when I reflect on the space I myself have created with God. Instead of pondering and reflecting on whether I've created to large of a gap it would be more logical to take this time to bring not myself to a point of reflection but you reading this too.