MZURI KAJA DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY

Khanga: a piece of cloth with history and purpose

The khanga, a pieace of rectangular cotton cloth with a border all around it, printed in bold designs and bright colours originated on the coast of East Africa in the mid 19th century. It is as long as the span of one’s outstretched arms and wide enough to cover one from neck to knee or from breast to halfway below the knee.  Khangas are usually bought and worn as a pair called a "doti" in Swahili.

The ‘Khanga’ is a woman’s cloth worn in different styles carrying meanings ranging from demonstrating one’s modesty, eliciting jealousy to other women, to inviting a husband or a man to bed.  Many khanga styles are given Swahili names including ‘ushungi’, ‘kibwebwe’, ‘miyabe’ and ‘kanga kifua’.  The most popular style is ‘ushungi’.  As ‘ushungi’ is associated with modesty, women rarely go in public without it.  One is said to be dressed in ‘ushungi’ when she covers her body from head to toe - one piece of kanga covers the upper body and another piece covers the lower body.  ‘Ushungi’ style is also the choice of many women during burial ceremonies and mourning period.

                               

‘Kibwebwe’ is another common style of wearing khanga in Zanzibar.  A woman is said to put on ‘kibwebwe’ when she rolls one piece of kanga and wraps it around her bottom making it appear larger than normal.  ‘Kibwebwe’ style is dressed in a situation in which a woman is dancing, quarreling or fighting another woman or performing a highly physically-demanding task like pounding grains in a wooden mortar.   While dancing, ‘kibwebwe’ serves well as a bottom-wriggling style and where there is ‘kidumbak’ a traditional Swahili dance music, there are always plenty of “vibwebwe’.  Women can be seen with ‘kibwebwe’ when engaged in waist-wriggling or belly-dancing competition following kidumbak beats.  It is also common among Swahili women in rural areas to put on ‘kibwebwe’ when fighting, even when in a verbal fight!  The style is said to help them to fight fiercely. So, if one sees a woman seriously looking and in a hurry with a ‘kibwebwe’, you should have no doubt that she is onto a fight!

 

Khanga ‘kifua’ (literally meaning Khanga ‘chest’) is a style used to lure men to bed.  Here a woman ties a piece of kanga under the armpit covering her chest/bust with no other clothing underneath her.  Normally a see-through piece of khanga is more preferred than one made of heavy fabric.  Men are said to be ‘tamed’ to stay home when they see their spouses wearing the khanga ‘kifua’style!

 

‘Miyabe’ style is more common among young girls than in adults.  The style here is a piece of khanga that is wrapped around the body and tied at the back of one’s neck.  Miyabe sends a message that a wearer is under puberty. The style is also used to cover kids after having had a shower or young boys after circumcision when wearing trousers or shorts is uncomfortable!

Khangas have messages written and are often worn by women during political rallies and elections to mobilize political party follows and invite new members. They are also used in advocacy and social mobilization in health and other social sectors.

 

 

 

 

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