Secrets of the shanga: Why coastal women wear the beads on their waist

Waist beads

• Only few Kenyans understand why coastal women sport waist beads or shanga
• The shanga are more than an accessory or fashion statement
• Women have worn shanga as a rite of passage and even to sexually entice their men

Ohangla musician Otieno Aloka sings that Kanungo e Teko (the waist is where the strength lies).

However, only a few Kenyans understand that better than coastal women who sport waist beads or shanga - for their aesthetic value and much more...especially much more!