Khadija Abdi Hajj – Embroidering Swahili Kofias

Published by Paukwa on August 14, 2020

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Khadija Abdi Hajj embroidering a kofia. Image credit: EcoSoko

The home science room of Pate Primary School was Khadija Abdi Hajj’s favourite place. Khadija enjoyed learning how to use a sewing machine and the different types of stitches she could make on a piece of fabric. Coming in at close second was her grandfather’s workstation back at home where he made hand-embroidered kofias. These kofias have been worn by the Swahili people for centuries and in the past, the embroidery on a man’s kofia denoted his status in society. At school, Khadija learned how to make garments by instruction and at home, she learned how to make kofias by observation. Combining these two worlds, she decided to become a fashion designer when she grew up.

In 1996, a few weeks before Khadija sat her national exams, her grandfather – who was paying her school fees – passed away. Khadija was devastated. In a flash she had lost a man who wore two hats in her life: of a father and of a career mentor. Without finances, Khadija was unable to continue to secondary school but she turned to her love of sewing and stitching. Since the sewing machine of the home science room was not available to her once she was done with primary school, Khadija was only left with was her kofia-making skills. But with a glass half-full attitude, Khadija decided to give this craft her all.

For her practice rounds, Khadija used scrap fabric to make kofias. She practiced cutting the material to the required shapes and sizes, joining different pieces together, stenciling her design onto the fabric and skillfully embroidering the kofia to create elaborate patterns. Making the hat itself was an easy process, however the embroidery was the difficult part that required patience and pin-point precision. After four months, she felt she was ready to make a kofia to sell, but as she took to creating the it, she decided it would go to someone special.

It took two months of dedicating a few minutes early every morning and late every night to complete the first kofia. The task was cumbersome and there were times Khadija wasn’t feeling how her design was coming together, but it was a labour of love and she was driven to see to fruition. When she presented it to her beau, he was pleasantly surprised, both by the effort that went into this gift and the level of skill Khadija possessed. He wore the kofia proudly and received many compliments for it. These compliments turned into referrals to the kofia-maker and soon, Khadija drummed up business for herself.

By 1998, Khadija’s embroidery skills were impeccable. Her business was booming and she was happily married; her life was on an upward trajectory. She was confident in her craftsmanship and thus decided to enroll for a kofia-making contest in the Lamu Cultural Festival. The event was packed and the competition stiff but once the final tally was in, Khadija emerged third. For a first-time participant, she had performed better than expected and had exceeded even her own expectations.

The next year, Khadija challenged herself and enrolled for the contest again. When the results were announced, Khadija was named the best kofia-maker in Lamu, a title she was ready to boast. For the next five consecutive years, Khadija remained reigning champion and was famed for her artistic needlework. In 2004, having built a name for herself, Khadija stepped back from the competition and gave the spotlight up to upcoming kofia-makers. Eager to breed the next group of top crafters, she started a training program to help others improve their skill. She carries on with this mentorship to date as she continues to make and sell kofias to retail stores in Lamu and Mombasa County.

We celebrate Khadija’s dedication to her work and her determination to pass the cultural mantle on to others in County 005.

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