Name: Malaika Brooks-Smith-Lowe
Age: 25
Place of birth: Grenada

Current residence: Calivigny, Grenada

I was born in Grenada and I’ve lived primarily between Grenada and the east coast of the United States. My family also has Jamaican heritage so I describe myself as a trans-national Caribbean woman. My family is not perfect, but we are very close. My parents have given me the freedom to let my passions and creativity flourish, they nurtured that and for the most part have always trusted me to make my own choices. Neither of my parents have one single focus or commitment, there are many other things that excite them. I am definitely the same, for as far back as I can remember, I have treated life as an exploration.

I run Spice Harmony Yoga Studio with my parents, who are certified yoga instructors while working on my second degree – a cultural studies thesis on memory and the Grenadian Revolution for the University of the West Indies, St Augustine. I am committed to community development and social justice and other ventures I have started like Groundation Grenada Action Collective and The Grenada Goat Dairy Project . Because of this my days vary greatly, but most mornings I wake up around 5am and teach yoga classes.

I’m more productive at the beginning of the day so I wake up early to get the most important tasks done first. By the early afternoon I teach an evening yoga class and relax. I’m a Pescaterian and my dad is an organic farmer so I eat his fruits and vegetables all day long. I feel the difference in my body and in my whole approach when I am being mindful of what I put in my system.

It’s hot in Grenada, and I like my freedom so I wear wraps (sarongs) a lot. I’m often in yoga clothes because I teach quite a bit, but also because they are so comfy. Regardless of what article of clothing it is, I am drawn to softness, colour and funky patterns. I recently joined The Grenada Goat Dairy Project as Director of Public Relations last year so if I need to get down with the goats, practicality is my first priority when it comes to my outfits.

The Grenada Goat Dairy Project (TGD) was established in 2008 under another organisation called The Grenada Project and TGD officially became incorporated as a non-profit in 2011. Our cofounder Christine Curry, wanted to develop a sustainable business that would be economically and environmentally friendly that could also be plugged into the community. You have to be connected in order to provide relevant, hands-on education and support and not enough is happening on the ground to support gardening and farming, but also to raise awareness about how crucial it is to know where your food comes from. Our communities are trading their environment and their health without taking into consideration all of the facts, so as an organization our aim is to build awareness about the issues and offer practical alternatives.

Our product’s cover about 70% of our operating costs so far. The demand is higher than our supply, so we are working towards building our capacity so that we don’t have to rely on funding and so that our education and demonstration facility can financially support itself. The truth is it doesn’t have to be a massive industry to sustain itself. In a small place like Grenada, we can show that these intimate, supportive, environmentally conscious entities can fuel the economy.

When we raise the funding and implement the programme, it is my hope that we can influence young people’s attitudes towards farming and agriculture. I also want it to be able to change their perspective on what a full and successful life looks like. We are being sold this idea that living well is about the ability to consume as much as possible. I want to share the idea that living a life with a sense of what you individually want and need, goes hand in hand with being compassionate about all the other beings that we share our resources and planet with. Farming and agriculture on a whole is a way of creating the highest quality fuel for our dreams and being considerate of our ecosystem as we do it.

We are still in a foundational stage with the Goat Dairy and it’s a lot of work to keep the project afloat and to get it to the stage of being self-sustaining. It still surprises me that we have not had any support from the government, but it has provided us with an opportunity to show that nothing will get done if we sit around and wait for the perfect equation. We need to set the tone as a society about what we feel is important and our governments and institutions will follow our lead. 

I stay motivated because I see food security as a solution to a lot of the issues that Grenadian society is facing. We are in need of economic growth, jobs, improved health and dynamic education systems. For me, all of these are linked. Focusing on creating high quality, nutritious (and delicious) local food and discussing all the issues that affect and inform that production, can influence the growth of our society in a positive way.

I love my sensitivity, usually an attribute of women, but I think that anybody can have it. For me, this sensitivity forms a foundation in so many aspects of my life, from my creativity and critical thinking, to the ways that I love or allow myself to be loved. It isn’t an easy energy to keep in balance, but when I do channel it in a healthy way, it works for me and allows me to grow. My advice is, allow yourself space for honest self-reflection so that you can have the room that you deserve for growth.

I am Complexd because I embrace me. Even when I see my glaring mistakes, I have to eventually turn around and show myself self-compassion before I can ever wish to live a life overflowing with love.

The Grenada Goat Diary School Project has 20 more days to go to raise their $55,000 goal. So far, 146 backers have pledged $18, 789, visit their Kickstarter page here to find out more and support this project