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| Mwanabwana. 7 West, Mombasa Primary School. 14 Years |
One day during the school holiday l visited my grandmother and l
wanted her to tell me a story on Muhina tree.
Long time ago women duties were in the kitchen including fetching
fire wood for cooking. Three to five women from the same village would gather
and go together for fire wood. One day one of the women started cutting the
leaves of one of the trees in the forest squeezing it hard to get the juice, then
she realized her hands were changing in color. The women were interested with the
tree so they took it to plant in their gardens at home. Muhina tree is said to
have come from Arabia and India.
Hinna leaves are removed from the tree, dried on the sun and then
pounded to get the hinna powder. Hinna is used as a decoration for Islam and
Swahili women as they get married and for the women attending the ceremony. Small
girls and teen girls are not allowed to apply hinna. They are allowed only on Iddi
celebration and only one hand and simple flowers because hinna is one sign of
married women.
it is further used as decoration for women and as medicine. The
hinna powder mixed with water only can be applied on the body to lower own high
temperature also you can apply on your back if its aching. Hinna is also used
to dye the hair and mustache.
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| Heena painting on the feet |
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| Heena painting on the hands |
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| Heena painting on the feet |
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| Heena painting on the hands |
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