I create, curate, coach and consult.
Words that grow roots. My journey to:
Melanelle B. C. Hémêfa
One rainy Sunday afternoon, my phone rang and my mother's name appeared on the screen. As we chatted about everything under the sun, she eventually steered the conversation to my work. "What exactly do you do at work?" she asked. I paused for a moment and looked for a suitable translation in Ewe for "writer, performer, lecturer, supervisor, moderator, curator, consultant and strategist for diversity, equity, inclusion and empowerment". Finally, I answered: "To be honest, I write and speak."
My mother laughed in surprise and said, "You've always loved writing and speaking. You have to be smart to get paid for it. Keep it up!" A wide, proud smile that made my dimples stand out appeared on my face. Her words felt like a warm hug. Since that conversation, every time we talk on the phone, my mother asks, "Have you received another invitation to speak?" And every time I answer gratefully, "Yes."
Melanelle B. C. Hémêfa: Words that transform.
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I listen, write, speak, create, educate, empower, advise and accompany.
My work combines many facets, but they all have one thing in common: my love for the written and spoken word. This passion began early, in a childhood characterized by fried plantains, bissap juice and loving calls for seconds. Books were my retreat, they helped me escape the challenges of growing up as the only black girl in a southern German suburb.
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Over time, this love led me to the University of Mannheim, where I studied pedagogy, history, linguistics, literature and media studies. Postcolonial theories, Afro-diasporic literature, language critical of discrimination and intersectional empowerment were particularly influential - topics that had a lasting effect on my thoughts and actions.
In my final year of study in 2020, when the death of George Floyd at the hands of police violence sparked protests around the world, I was invited to give a speech to 6,000 people at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Mannheim's Ehrenhof. My freelance journey began with "Black Skin on White Soil" and "Melanelle" was born. My stage name, a combination of "melanin" and "elle" (French for "she"), means "I am black and I am also a woman" - two fundamental components of my being. My surname "Hémêfa" comes from Ewe and means "In her is peace and strength". This given name represents my roots, my first language and my ancestors.
He expresses: “I come from something, I come from someone.”
The foundation of my work: creativity, expertise and experience
After graduating in 2021, I began to process my life experiences - a mosaic of challenges - through creative strategies and methods, deep reflection and the specialist knowledge I had acquired. These experiences required not only perseverance, but also a conscious transformation. Strategies such as creating secure connections, setting healthy boundaries, understanding and interpreting emotional messages and developing creative coping approaches have been central tools in my work ever since. I have tested these approaches in numerous workshops and training courses and have continuously developed them further, which means that they are now an integral part of my own work and that of my colleagues.
Creativity plays a central role here. For me, it is much more than a means of expression - it is a transformative energy that supports, heals and connects. Using creative methods and approaches, I create spaces in which my clients find the opportunity to gain clarity, organize their challenges and promote personal growth.
Melanelle's vision and mission:
I am also committed to making invisible stories visible: Afro-diasporic narratives that are often marginalized; the voices of eldest daughters balancing traditional expectations and their quest for self-reliance; and stories of resilience, change and new beginnings. It is my belief that every story deserves to be told.
Using anti-discrimination and needs-based approaches, I work to promote sustainable change at a societal, institutional and individual level. My goal is to create living and working environments that offer space for creative ideas, personal development and transformation.
My work is characterized by clear and authentic communication, the opening of new perspectives as well as empathetic and sustainable solutions.
