Ajani Handmade
Ajani handmade came to be after realizing a gap in the local Kenyan beauty industry. Our products are developed to cater to natural and conscious self-care and lifestyle practices.
They are a social enterprise aimed at catering to the demands of a growing natural and organic hair and skin care market. Ajani messages are socially rooted in challenging socially imposed beauty ideals. Through their work, they act as a platform for empowerment for women.
Some of Ajani handmade products
Ajani handmade target nurturing self acceptance by redefining mainstream standards of beauty by celebrating differences in physical make up and advocating for safe and informed self care and beauty practices.
Through their brand their vision is to continue to develop an extensive and organic product line that nurtures and grows the local Kenyan handmade beauty industry by staying true to our social messages.
The story behind Ajani Brand
“Four years spent studying away from the luxuries and privileges of home left me with an afro, a world of information on African natural hair care and a will to make changes in the world around me. Through searching for information on how to care for unprocessed natural hair, I found that my story was one of many; often experiences that touched on identity, self awareness and self- esteem.
I noticed that reading and sharing these stories often led to conversations of empowerment and an unearthing of many previously unacknowledged histories and hidden social structures that shaped black women’s identities. The most exciting element of this journey was the acquisition of so much information and education on unprocessed African hair care, which had, oddly enough, never existed in my life world given that I had African textured hair.
Digging through vast amounts of new knowledge that other’s shared and experimenting with different recipes and hair care techniques naturally turned into a self- educating experience. This, coupled with a new holistic and health- conscious attitude led to two years of mixing, melting and whipping natural concoctions until I settled on a natural hair and body butter recipe that worked for both my hair and skin.
I decided to share my recipe as part of this Kenyan based product line for individuals with similar needs. I was keen to use my new skills and passions to navigate the world of social development, particularly pertaining to African women and how our life worlds affect our agency and capacities. Natural hair care was just my gateway.”
Content courtesy of Ajani Handmade & Nairobi fashion hub Digital team
Comments