Your Mental Health Check In

🧘‍♀️ Zen Note

How has your Mental Health Month been going? Perhaps you've been focusing on self-care and wellness, or maybe you've tried new strategies to boost your mental health. Whether it's practising mindfulness, taking a break from social media, or simply taking time to rest and recharge, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to self-care. We all have our good and bad days, and it's important to recognize when you need to take a step back and prioritise your mental health. 

Remember, self-care is an ongoing journey (not just one month) that requires patience, self-compassion, and a willingness to try new things. Whether you're making small changes or taking bigger steps, every effort counts. Take the time to celebrate your progress and give yourself credit for all that you're doing to support your well-being. And know that you're not alone on this journey. Keep up the good work, and keep taking care of yourself!

- Edisana Stephen, Newsletter Editor

🥳 Z Brand Spotlight

BLOKE is a brand that redefines luxury by combining modern designs with artisanal techniques and a hint of self-discovery. Founded in 2015, Faith Oluwajimi, who is based between Lagos and London, established the label to push the boundaries of ethical fashion while promoting values of diversity.

With a pioneering attitude towards textile and knitwear, Bloke explores new cultural avenues through its avant-garde creations inspired by the high spirits of its community. And through its finely crafted and innovative products, Bloke challenges the conventional relationship between fashion, art, and culture. Currently, the brand's collection can be found in stockist outlets across Africa, North Ameria and Europe.

✍️ New on Kenga

🔥 Hot Topics

• Ghana's first skatepark, Freedom Skatepark has been forced to close due to threats over land dispute. (via 3news)

• US accuses South Africa of supplying arms to Russia. (via Financial Times)

• Lynx Africa's $13 million "Goat" campaign signals a Gen Z opportunity. (via The Drum)

• Meet Zillennials, the microgeneration between Millennials and Gen Z. (via New York Post)

• Gen Z is driving significant M&A within the fragrance industry through brand discoveries on TikTok. (via Business of Fashion)

• The secret behind Eurovision's successful Gen Z appeal. (via BBC)

• Gen Z home buyers are clamoring for properties with solar panels. (via CNET)

💡 Z-Lang

TOUCH GRASS - a phrase said in an insulting way to people who seem to shitpost online a lot, telling them to be realistic or physically go outside and interact with reality.

😮‍💨 Weekenda

• Suntopia, an art exhibition by Kwame and Koda at Beehive Accra

Immerse in this vivid, almost psychedelic reproduction of the Abendrot (afterglow).

•  The Three of Us, a book by Ore Agbaje-Williams

This canny debut novel condenses a story of compromise, betrayal, and cultural complexities into a single day's event.

• Vintage Gala, an event at The Backyard, Accra

Dig through a trove of one-of-one vintage finds.

• The Diplomat, a Netflix series

Binge on this political racing thriller that makes international relations easily digestible TV entertainment.

• Eden, an art exhibition by Deena Fadel at Picasso Art Gallery, Cairo

This exhibition interprets the essence of our true nature from the perspective of love and the heart.

• Forever Is Not Ours, a photography exhibition by Margaret Ngigi at One Off Contemporary Gallery, Nairobi

Contemplate the surrealism of time at this uncanny, dreamlike photography exhibition.

• GEN ZEN, Kenga's Issue V publication

Power through our dynamic design, art and photography, or loll about with our stories and interviews, in our newest issue on mental health tag-lined GEN ZEN.

The Kengaroo is a weekly newsletter that curates the latest on Gen Z culture in Africa and around the world. Subscribe to be among the first to get the next issue when it’s up.