Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu, [email protected]
VONGAI Monica “MonicaBliss” Mujakachi has never allowed borders to limit her creativity. The Zimbabwean-born author, poet and performer has built a name for herself in Germany through her writing, spoken-word performances and community work. Yet despite a journey that has taken her from Zimbabwe to some of Germany’s biggest poetry stages, one ambition remains close to her heart.
She dreams of seeing her books adapted into films.
For Mujakachi, whose stories often explore love, loss, identity, resilience and human relationships, the big screen offers another way of reaching audiences and bringing her characters to life.
“This has actually been my dream for years now seeing my literary work being adapted into film,” Mujakachi said.
Of all the books she has written, one stands above the rest in her mind.
“Especially for the book ‘Choices We Make and Other Stories’, I believe that book would resonate most powerfully with audiences on screen.”
The dream is hardly surprising for someone who already understands the power of storytelling beyond the written word.
Mujakachi has appeared in the feature film Waljahr, which was screened in cinemas in Trier, Germany. She has also performed in the theatre production Unser Haus under Frosch Kultur, experiences that deepened her appreciation of how stories can connect with people through different forms of art.
Long before Germany, film and theatre became part of her life, Mujakachi’s journey began in Zimbabwe.
She started writing and performing poetry at the age of 14 and published her first book when she was just 19. What began as a passion during her teenage years has since grown into a remarkable literary career spanning three languages — English, IsiNdebele and German.
Today, she has authored 15 books, among them Is This Love, Road of Hearts, Saved by Grace, Choices We Make and Other Stories and Songs of Life. Her latest milestone is Wandering Corpses, her first book written in German.
Across her work, she does not shy away from difficult subjects. Issues such as depression, abuse, racism, death, family relationships and human dignity feature prominently in her writing. Yet even when tackling painful realities, her stories often carry messages of hope, healing and understanding.
Much of that perspective has been shaped by her own experiences as a migrant.
After moving to Germany, initially as an au pair, she found herself navigating a completely different culture, language and way of life. She later completed voluntary social service placements at Bombogen Daycare Centre and Lebenshilfe, an organisation that supports people with disabilities, before qualifying as a social care assistant.
The move opened her eyes to challenges she had never fully imagined.
“Migration has indeed shaped both my voice as a writer and the stories I feel compelled to tell. When you are in your motherland and move to another country you have certain expectations or should I say you imagine it to be easy-going until you get confronted with homesickness, losing beloved ones whilst you are far, missing important events like family weddings, graduation, newborn babies, facing racism, trying to integrate through learning the culture and language, which is not a walk in the park. So, migration became an eye opener and I found myself writing and voicing out such situations.”
Those experiences gave her stories a deeper dimension and helped her connect with readers dealing with similar questions of belonging, identity and resilience.
While she is an accomplished author, Mujakachi has also found success on the spoken-word stage.
Over the years, she has performed across Germany and beyond, appearing in cities such as Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Mannheim and Karlsruhe, as well as in Luxembourg. Her talent has earned her victories at poetry slam competitions in Heidelberg and Wiesbaden.
This year marked another major achievement when she was crowned the 2025 Trier City Poetry Slam champion, further cementing her reputation as one of the city’s leading spoken-word artists.
Away from competition stages, she is passionate about helping others discover their voices. Through the Kulturraum Trier project, she facilitates poetry workshops in schools, encouraging young people to express themselves through writing and performance.
Her creativity, however, cannot be confined to a single discipline.
Besides writing and performing poetry, she sings in a choir that performs at churches, festivals and retirement homes. She is also a skilled craftswoman who makes handmade beaded jewellery and conducts beadwork workshops for both children and adults.
For Mujakachi, each creative discipline feeds into the other.
“These different artistic disciplines influence one another as they enable me to combine them perfectly. And the creative avenue currently inspiring me the most is Poetry,” she explained.
Her desire to make a difference also extends beyond the arts.
Over the years, she has been involved in several literary and community organisations. She previously served as secretary of the Zimbabwe Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association’s Bulawayo chapter and the Love Child Trust, while also participating in Writers Space Africa and other collaborative literary initiatives.
Today, she is a brand ambassador for Heart-Flames Distributors/Readers and co-founder of the Moon-Rays of Hope Foundation, an organisation dedicated to supporting social development initiatives in Zimbabwe.
Despite her many achievements, she remains focused on a simple goal: using words to bring people closer together.
“I hope my writing creates respect, acceptance and love for diversity among my readers. To realise that we are walking graves and like wind we will pass by, instead of wasting our energy hating, destroying and harbouring bitterness. We can channel this energy to living a purposeful life, which is using our abilities, talents and skills in making the world a better place filled with laughter, smiles and positivity.
“Putting Ubuntu in action, I am because we are and no man is an island. We are beyond culture, religion and language. We can peacefully co-exist allowing humanity to reign and enjoy the sail,” she said.
She is currently working on a multidisciplinary project that will explore addiction, depression, suicide and the impact these issues have on families. While she is not yet revealing much about the project, she says it will combine different artistic forms in a fresh and meaningful way.
As she looks to the future, one thing remains certain. Whether she is writing a book, reciting a poem, performing on stage or inspiring young people through workshops, Mujakachi wants her work to leave a lasting message of unity and understanding.
“The legacy I would love to leave as a Zimbabwean author is that of celebration of diversity.”
From a teenage poet in Zimbabwe to an award-winning performer and author in Germany, Mujakachi has spent much of her life telling stories that connect people. And if her dream of seeing her books on the big screen eventually comes true, that message will reach even more people around the world.
