Stories + Updates

Welcome to “Stories + Updates”—a space where ancestral wisdom meets everyday transformation. Dive into reflections, insights, and shared healing from birthing, food justice, community care, and the rhythms of our lives. You’re invited to stay, read, and grow with us.

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This space is where I share reflections, resources, and lessons from the journey—offering glimpses into how we can deepen our understanding of wellness, justice, and community. These posts are meant to spark conversation, encourage curiosity, and remind us that learning is ongoing, especially when rooted in care and collective growth.

Let’s explore, reflect, and imagine together what this work can truly be.

  • Falling into Rest: Learning the Seven Types of Restoration as the Seasons Shift

    As the leaves begin to shift and the days grow shorter, I find myself paying attention to what nature is teaching us. Fall is a season of release, of slowing down, of preparing to rest. The trees let go of their leaves without shame. The earth prepares for hibernation, knowing that winter is the deep……

  • The Power of Facilitation in Community Work: Creating Spaces for Growth and Advocacy

    Facilitation has been the thread connecting all of my work — from social work to education, housing, birth justice, and farming. It’s not just about managing meetings; it’s about creating spaces where people can learn, find their voice, and advocate for themselves. True collaboration happens when every voice is honored, and facilitation is what makes…

  • Beyond Silos: Rethinking How We Build Healthy Communities Together

    True community cannot be built in silos. My journey across social work, housing, education, farming, and birth justice has shown me that thriving communities depend on cross-sector partnerships, multigenerational wisdom, and the courage to bring all our strengths together.

  • Learning to Rest without Regret

    By: Makeda Marshall-NeSmith We’ve all heard it before: rest can save your life. If you want to explore that deeply, I’d point you to two powerful pieces from voices I admire: Why Is Exhaustion So Normalized for Black Women? from Allure, and Yes, Even Social Activists Need Rest Too from Verywell Mind. Both speak to……

  • Leaning Forward: How Pregnancy Support Transforms the Birth Experience

    By: Makeda Marshall-NeSmith https://www.instagram.com/sankofa.wellness/ There was a time when bringing new life into the world was never done alone. Women were surrounded by aunties, grandmothers, sisters, and neighbors. Birth was a community event, and the new mother was cared for, nourished, and held by those who loved her most. Over time, our culture has shifted.……

  • Rainy Day Reflections

    By: Makeda Marshall-NeSmith It’s a rainy day here in New Jersey, and I find myself sitting with all the thoughts swirling around me—much like the raindrops tapping against my window. So much has transpired this year. Change upon change, shift upon shift. As we prepare to step into the final quarter of the year, and……

  • Solstice as Portal: A Reflection on Hope, Healing & Collective Courage

    By: Makeda Marshall-NeSmith Some thoughts during this time… Today marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year—the moment when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, casting its fullest light upon the earth. For many cultures across the African continent and diaspora, the solstice was not merely an astronomical event—it was a spiritual……

  • Looking Back to Move Forward in Wellness.

    We root our work in ancestral knowledge to build thriving communities through food, birthing, and collective preparedness. Welcome to Sankofa Wellness We’re so glad you’re here. Sankofa Wellness is a community-rooted initiative focused on reclaiming ancestral healing through food justice, birthing justice, and community preparedness. Take a moment to explore our pages, learn more about……