by Natachi Onwuamaegbu
Photos by Elsa Kariuki
Technology is holding Catherine Ndanu back. For most 40-somethings, Instagram doesn’t need to be their domain. A few years ago, Cathy (as she’s affectionately known), would have been happy to leave the social media craze to her teenage son. But after Covid-19? After losing the majority of her customers, business and livelihood? Cathy doesn’t have a choice.
When she looks around Kenyatta Market, Cathy can’t help but compare. Some women have more customers than ever, even compared to Cathy’s heyday. And to the mother of two, this inequity of customers is more confusing than anything else. What do they have that she doesn’t?
The answer is, followers. Instagram accounts with traction. An online presence. A way for strangers to find her. And that’s where “Braiding Nairobi” comes in. Cathy has decided to join our platform to gain access to the thousands of Nairobi women who find their stylists online. She hopes that when people read her story and see her work, she’ll become less invisible. And then maybe, just maybe, she can get her livelihood back.
Cathy has been obsessed with the beauty industry her whole life. She started off watching women getting their hair done, sitting outside stalls and salons braiding pieces of rope before dying them with a solution from trees. Braiding is in her blood. It is her life. And after having her own shop for over 15 years, it’s clear braiding isn’t leaving her system anytime soon.
She can never leave the market. She never wants to leave the market. But now, when she stands outside looking for customers, they are already on their way to a braider they found on Instagram.
“I’ve tried and tried,” said Cathy, “But I don’t have that many followers. How can I compete?”
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