MKEKA: Siku ya KIPILIPILI na Hakuna MATATA

By @CarolAnande-Twitter @CarolAnande-Facebook @CarolAnande-Instagram

Basia Wellu (Left) with her business Partner Ziada Abeid
on the day at Jozi Lounge where they presented
'NNBE' under their brand +KIPILIPILI.COM TZ

Somewhere towards the end of last year, when the sun was creeping with the heavy haze of humid Bongo, alerting us that soon was time to go get 'kuhesabiwa'.

I stumbled on a glorious Saturday the 3rd of Dec to be exact. Where I got serious evidence of how Natural Hair is trending in 'Bongo'. Kweli zile siku za kudhani mwenye nywele za kipilipili ni mshamba, zaanza chakaa.

Aptly there are new demands in the market for products that nurture natural hair, particularly that belonging to the variant coffee shaded sisters of Tanzania.

So under the steer ship of http://www.kipilipili.com (@kipilipili.comtz -Instagram) and Abee Naturals (@abeenaturals -Instagram). 'Nywele Natural & Beauty Expo' was born.

In Masaki Dar es Salaam at http://jozilounge.com Jozi Lounge .
Onyesho hili lilijumuisha wajasiriamali mbalimbali asilimia kubwa wakiwa wanawake, waliopeperusha vilivyo, kauli mbiu ya onyesho hili #ThaminiAsiliYako.

I got a chance to hear a few words from the organisers. "We are a channel we make suppliers meet their customers...So what we're trying to tell people, is to trust in our own local products as well to support these women who are small entrepreneurs mostly from Tanzania"-Ziada Abeid (Kipilipili Co-Founder)

"...We're happy to also exhibit the 'mobile hair clinics' today...These guys come to your house and actually make it happen for you, if you have a conference, a wedding an important event and you don't know what to do with your natural hair, they come to you..."-Basia Wellu (Kipipili Co-Founder)

That was Basia & Ziada the main organisers of this event their brand Kipilipili is a little over a year & a half. With it's main function being the 'middle woman' between the service, product providers of natural hair and the customers who need their natural mane's catered for accordingly.

info@kipilipili.com

In this expo they teamed up with Abigail Ambweni who is the founder of AbeeNaturals, her establishment is a service & product provider for natural hair. In learning of her motivation to join in organising this expo she had to this say.

"Licha ya kusema tu nywele za asili ni nzuri. Kupitia hili onyesho niliona ni vyema pia tutoe mafunzo ya uhakika, kwa wanawake ambao bado wanaogopa. Au hawajui nini haswa cha kufanya, ili waweze kukuza na kulea nywele zao asilia...

For me personally it goes deeper, I'm in my mid thirties and I am a mother. I realised our children today don't see us with our own hair. When they look to successful african women in the media, they see them rocking lace wigs and such. For me this isn't a good thing, its is our hair why not be proud of it, why subliminaly tell our children their natural hair is not good enough..."-Abigail

Well said right, let's scroll down and see the goodies 'Nywele Natural & Beauty Expo' had for us.

AbeeNaturals

Left Abigail Ambweni & Christa Mdee of AbeeNaturals
at the 'Nywele Natural & Beauty Expo' deput in Dar

Dada Abigail, ni mjasiriamali wa kuigwa. Nilipenda bidhaa zake siku hii, zilizo jumuisha henna ya ku 'steam' au kuweka rangi kwenye nywele. Pia foronya na kofia za kulalia, hizi zilinifurahisha sana. Si unajua sisi wenye nywele za kipilipili, mafuta kwenye nywele zetu hutoroka bila kupewa talaka.

Haswaa pale tunapo chapa usingizil vivyo dada Abigail ameona atengeneze foronya za kitambaa cha satin pia kofia. Kwani kitambaa hichi hakinyonyi mafuta kama cotton n.k.

Pia AbeeNaturals wana wakala, ambao wanaweza kuja mpaka nyumbani kwako, kukupa mawaidha na kukutengeneza nywele zako asilia 0754 712421\

Kaara Naturals

This stall was a pleasant surprise to stumble into, Rhobi Chacha is the lady behind it. Kaara Naturals offers cold pressed oils. The raw materials of which are sourced from Tanzania, yup let's give them a woop woop. You see cold pressed oils retain the molecular structure of the fruits/seeds, from which the oils are squeezed from.

Rhobi Chacha (standing) with her sisters at her stall
assisting as sales rep Bhoke (middle) & Betty

Which means they will meet your mane with more fluidity, than the oils that have gone through high heat in their making. Yea who said Tanzania is behind...:) You can get yourself some avocado, coconut oils & such from Kaara Naturals by 0717 605556/0755 982 798 (@kaara.naturals-Instagram, kaara naturals-Facebook)

Wrapped

The Tanzanian sisters behind this brand is Fatma & Mariam their products are tailor made head wraps, you know this natural fro mane. No matter how good it can look, doesn't always like behaving. Which is when you get real close to them head wraps. Well Wrapped says not to worry they got your covered. 0766 465 850 @wrappedtz-Instagram

Ms Fatma Hamis & Mariam Johari of
Wrapped enterprize

Afronette

Antoinette Changila Founder
Afronette at the expo

This brand relatively young is headed by Antoinete Changila, a model from Tanzania who loves her natural mane. Her stall on this day was providing t-shirts affirming the beauty of natural hair on colored women. As well she had some affordable coconut oil, which we all know is a girls best friend in our coastal region... (@afronette_ -Instagram, Afronette - Facebook 0712260089)

We Naturals Tanzania

Hawa Nzota ni wakala na msambazaji Tanzania, wa bidhaa za 'We Naturals'. Kampuni tokea Ghana, iliyoanzishwa na Bi Dorinda Mawuenya Matey, yeye baada ya kujitosa kwenye wimbi la nywele asilia. Alipohitimu mwaka mmoja, mnamo 2013 alianza kurejesha safari yake Facebook, ndipo 'We Naturals' ilipozaliwa.

Leo ni kampuni kubwa yenye kusambaza bidhaa zake ndani na nje ya Afrika kupitia mtandao http://www.wenaturals.com na wakala wake. Dada Hawa alinionyesha bidhaa zao ikiwemo 'samli ya shea' asilia tokea ghana, bidhaa za 'hemp'-Shampu, Kondishna, n.k. (jani la bangi) usicheke lakuza nywele kinoma. Aya nisiongee mengi huyu hapa 0626 658594, pia waweza pata ushauri mathubuti wa jinsi ya kutumia bidhaa hizi kupitia 0757 109294

Trust

Nilifurahi sana kukutana na wadada wa 'Trust' kwenye onyesho hili, wao walikuwa upande wa wahisani. Kampuni yao inatoa huduma kuhusiana na uzazi wa mpango na afya za uzazi pia vipimo vya saratani ya matiti n.k.

I thought it brave and timely for an expo bringing women together to showcase condoms fiesta on their product list. As despite the social taboo on women & sexual pleasures in TZ A good condom is a 21st century adult's best friend, ask any gynacologist worth their salt. Wanapatikana www.trustlife.co.tz and through this no 0677 222444

Left Adela Hayo & Jamilla Said
of TRUST.

There were celebrities too...
Dada Shamim
Zakaria of @8020fashions naye
alikuwepo

The event was well organised, the businesses showed their products outside and later dialogue was prompted inside the Jozi Clu. With mini lectures from the exhibitors on various tips on how to take care of natural hair. Here also the sponsors got to speak to their prospective clients, one on one.

I say Clap Clap and personally I'm looking forward to the healthy competition that I hope to see between the Natural Hair forums in TZ. Yani tuzifagilie ndondi za @NaturalHairTZ and @NyweleNatural&BeautyExpo :)

Coffee House Sessions with Grace Matata Dec'16

Later on in this same day, I went on to Woodberry Cafe at Garden Market in Oysterbay I was really impressed. By the decor at first, you see I had never set foot on these grounds, which have an old colonial decadent mansion, dating probaly to the late 19th century.

The ambience was just right and when Grace got on stage I was warmed. She reminds of me of 'Sade' in her finer moments and her name well describes her demeanour on stage. I pray she continues to blossom and grow... (@gracematata -Instagram, Grace Matata-Facebook)