For any newcomer to any Massai land in Kenya, one of the commonest sight is that of young girls and mothers beautifully adorned with multi-coloured beads around their necks. This fashion has made them unique and to stand out. Even in the face of modernism and new age fashion, the beading among the Massais remains untouched.
Changa, as it is commonly called in Kiswahili, is worn for various reasons. It is firstly worn by young girls for the sole reason of beautifying them. When a girl or a woman who is of marriage age wears the bead, she attracts more suitors. When she finds one of her choice, the family would be bequeathed with more cows because they are getting a beautiful woman in return.
Whereas many cultural practices and traditions have eroded completely or have only traces of their existence left, it’s not so for the beading amongst the Massai of Kenya. However, with the advent of education and civilization, some ‘urbanised’ Massais do not wear the beads to school and work. They also argue that the beads worn daily is prone to collecting dust and dirt, and can be heavy as they increase in numbers. It also becomes a little discomforting.
For the rural Massai woman, the act of wearing the bead is both traditional and fashionable but what is more endearing is the bead making. It is an art and a show of creativity and unique cultural feature. The blend of colours, in most cases, is symbolic as well. The beads come in different sizes with a specific meaning. For instance, a man gives a big yellow and red bead to a lady to signify that she has been betrothed to him. Also, little girls normally wear few beads given to them by their mothers. The older women wear as much as can possible. The usually come in sets of four or five rows. The bigger the beads and the brighter the colours, the wealthier and more adorned a Massai woman appears.
Today, it is very common to see ladies, and sometimes men too, in search of beads which are made available in curio stores or markets like the famous Massai Market. It is thanks to the Massai who have held on to an age long tradition of bead wearing.
The dominant bead colours are red which represents strength, bravery and their resilience in the face of the challenges that the Massai endure on daily basis, the blue stands for energy, green representing production and the land which provides food for the people and their livestock. Orange symbolises the colour of the gourd that carries the milk- a constant in every Massai home. And black representing the colour of the people.
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