Kenya Beauty…

Image via Wikipedia

Hi Everyone!

I need to get back into the swing of things with writing posts. I have been meaning to share with you all some things that I learned about “beauty” while I was in Kenya.

I had a wonderful opportunity to talk to several women. But, one woman in particular I got to have a sit down interview with and we talked about all things “beauty” Kenya style. Here are bits and pieces from our interview. Enjoy!

Name : Molline Mwangi

Education: Graduated from Daystar University in Community Development and a minor of Psychology. Went on to start a fashion school and is currently enrolled there.

Molline seemed to really have an interest in beauty, fashion and designing. She told me that many of her inspirations for clothing and designs come from nature. She also get’s inspiration from magazines, tv, internet, current trends and other things around her. One of the main goals at the fashion school she goes to is to create pieces that are comfortable, stylish and yet suitable for an African climate.

When I asked her “in her opinion” to place these three in order of importance for a Kenyan woman out of makeup, hair, fashion she said:

1. Fashion

2. Hair

3.Make-up

(Molline also listed “skin” and how the skin looks is more important to most women she knew than make-up was.) I find this very fascinating.

I had an extensive talk with Molline about skin. She told me that many girls/women are turning to lightning creams and lotions to try to get their skin-tone the shade that they’d like it to be. I asked her where she thought that these women get the ideas to change their skin color. She said, “t.v, internet, music videos, celebrities.” It’s very interesting to me how women in western culture like to “tan” their skin to make it look darker, and in Africa and other countries women are trying to “lighten” their skin. (We all should be happy with what we were given!)

Molline said many women will pay pretty good money to get weaves, extensions etc done to their hair and that make-up was not as important or desirable. The popularity of make-up in Kenya did not seem to be what it is here in the U.S.

I don’t know a lot about beauty and fashion in Kenya or in Africa on a whole. But, it was very fun to talk to several women while I was there. It was a pleasure to interview a fashion student Molline and I will continue to be interested in beauty culture around the world.

Love LO

Discoveries at the Athi River Campus…

Hey Everyone!

It’s 3:47 PM Kenyan time and about 6: 47 AM Minnesota time. It is almost half way through my BIRTHDAY. Yes, today is my birthday!! I will write all about what we have done today, but I have a little break in the day so I wanted to share a bit about what our day was like yesterday.

I left off telling you all that I went to sleep because I felt a little ill…but had a full first day at Athi River Campus of Daystar University. I woke up yesterday morning and went to eat a wonderful waffle breakfast at Dr. Masso’s (a daystar faculty’s) house right off campus. Most of the roads around campus are dirt, and since it had rained the night before, a lot of roads became like a mudslide. I heard that before Royce and I came to Kenya there had been a long drought and it was very dry and hot. The last three days we have been here it has rained…so it has been very nice.

I met a student at Daystar University, communications major named Winnie. While Royce sat in on a Homiletics class Winnie showed me around campus. We went through the library, on site dorms, gardens, and all classroom areas. It is one of the most beautiful scenic campus’ I have ever seen. Royce and I were astounded by the geckos and lizards. I have pictures! Birds fly around the campus everywhere and they aren’t the kind I’m used to seeing in Minnesota. They’re all brand new. High Rocks are another animal we were amazed by. Look them up! They look like giant squirrels without a tail! About 5 times the size of the average squirrel, groundhog size.

Next, we met with a group of scholarship students from Daystar. These students were all those who received aid scholarships from the U.S. These students were probably all in their 20’s and 30’s and when asked to share what their goal’s and dreams were after graduation they all had absolutely HUGE dreams. When they were speaking I was just so amazed at the honesty, dedication and respect they sounded to have for their education and country. I feel as though most American 20 year olds…you ask them their dreams and goals and they will tell you they want to get a job after they graduate. Not, I want to help orphan children, or start a school for the uneducated, poverty stricken people of my country. These students had PASSION. It was very inspiring.

On our ride home from Athi River, we picked up about 7 staff members from Daystar who got stranded because their bus broke down on the way back.

By the time we got home I was exhausted. But, I had a young woman waiting here for me. We talked about the “beauty culture” in Kenya. It was very interesting and beneficial for me. I think you will all enjoy hearing about it and I will share that in another post.  I will try to post later tonight about what I did on my birthday in Kenya!

LOVE,

Lauren