Wanja (Mascara)

Baby with wanja applied

Wanja is applied to a babies face to hide the beauty face of the baby, it is done intentionally to avoid people recognizing  the baby's  face.

How Wanja is prepared

Wanja is prepared from an item called ‘pefu ya moto’. Pefu ya moto is burnt and the smoke is collected in a small plate, then put in a special bottle.

Wanja Bottle

 It is then applied with a thin metal stick. When applying on the eyes, it is good to apply when it is  a little warm. The warmth  helps to cure the eyes diseases.

Wanja Metal Stick

 Muslims believe wanja protect someone from jealousy (ni dawa ya husda), and is applied by all Muslims in the world. Different countries and cultures have different kinds of wanja. 

It is mainly applied by women and is sunna for men because Prophet Mohammed used to apply wanja.

The wanja from ‘pefu ya moto’ is  pure wanja, and it is the wanja which was used during prophet-hood. This Wanja is pure because it is not mixed with any chemical.

Story by Khadija Issa,  Lamu Fort Library