CHANGING PERCEPTIONS CONCERNING MODELLING WITHIN MOMBASA'S ISLAMIC COMMUNITY

Modelling is a form of art and art often has expressive forms with different models expressing varrying messages through their designs and dress codes. 

As I walk in the streets of Mombasa in my day to day duties as a reporter I managed to meet with a young girl residing in the coastal city. I sit with her for few minutes at Mombasa Aviation College as she shares her especial story in the fashion industry.

As many would attest to, modelling is not a concept quite embraced in the Islamic culture. Most individuals have the notion that a model would go to lengthy extents to expose her body as an object for admiration before people as they walk in ramps through pictures on magazine's cover pages. Albeit this type of myths, Bai Mohammed still goes ahead with her passion in modelling whilst trying to demystify underlying misconceptions prevalent around the coastal area and beyond.

The student from Mombasa Aviation College in her career expresses modesty and her dressing goes to speak volumes of modesty that can also be embraced in a much growing fashion industry on the regional and global frontier.

In her perception, Mombasa's fashion industry is lucrative albeit still being a baby industry. Bai thinks that people's perception are slowly changing to accommodate modelling as a genuine career. She however believes there is still a lot to be done to break psychological barriers that limit the fashion industry from growing beyond events organised by friends and beyond few outdoor ultra glamorous parties and runway walks.

When she started out, she had no idea that it was the beginning of her modelling career. She was still in high school back then. She then attended an event which was called Mombasa Got Talent. She says that she got an invite from a friend who she studied with in school. So in that event, Bai's friend had an aunt who was a make up artist and one of the designers there. Immediately she saw Bai, the aunt asked in a joking manner, "are you one of my models?" Of course she wasn't because she had attended the event as any other person. Along the event, the make up artist cum designer missed one model from which point she turned to Bai again. 

Bai says she had never modelled in her life but she knew that she wanted to. Then again, we are in Mombasa and the whole idea is not really well received; so Bai panicked and made so many calls. Finally she called her mom who then allowed her to model and this was her starting point in the fashion industry. She modelled that once in what was a runway event and that's how her career kick started.

While doing all that is connected to her modelling work, Bai feels that she expresses modesty. Coming from a city that is so full of muslims and full of the Islamic community, she intimates that through modelling she communicates modesty. It doesn't have to be bikinis nor indescent pictures for her but with her hijab, Bai can model as well.

As an industry, Bai refuses to accept Mombasa is doing well but opines that the county is still trying. "If you see how we were and where we are now, it is totally different and we are growing. However the career is not really accepted by the society." She says that she has faced a lot of challenges with that. To this end, she tries to imprint the idea into people's minds that if someone can walk around with a bikini, then why should people be backlashed for walking in a long dress and a nice hijab? The modelling concept isn't really accepted but Bai intimates that people are trying to grow past the myth and misconception that modelling is just not for muslim girls.

Some of the events she has modelled in in the past was Mombasa Got Talent event. It was a well known event in Mombasa. She also modelled for a renowned make up artist, Swalha Al Amry in Mombasa in Grand Enchanted Event as an English bride. Bai has also been featured previously in the Vogue Polish Magazine. She has built a brand through her Instagram being a model and a content creator, so people, event organisers and brands can always book for her services through her Instagram account.

Bai's thought is that we need to delve more into the fashion industry and support it as much as we are supporting other talents such as football and music. 

She opines that policies and actions should be put in place not only in Mombasa county but also nationally so that we can quickly catch up with the global communities in the fashion and modelling industry.

A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE ON NEW LOOP APP

NCBA LOOP has done some tremendous job in revamping the mobile application as a reward for it's loyal customers. 

On 23rd January 2023 there were a few login issues which were all swept under the carpet by 5:00 AM on 24th January 2023. This now means client's can successfully log in to the new Loop app which bears the orange colour and an L logo with the former teal colour now done away with.

Once you log in, the app shall require one to change their passwords into a more secure password and a pin will be entered to be used in locking and unlocking your dashboard which contains the feature "My accounts" plus more others.

Client's will later build their profiles which includes registering your physical address and a profile photo can successfully be uploaded on the go.

Other unique features include the set up of two cards, a virtual visa card which is topabble from M- PESA or from the primary LOOP Bank Account. Both the accounts can be topped up online as compared to using the conventional pay bill number 714777.

The app also will allow client's to borrow loans depending on the LOOP transactions. The application is also quite user friendly and swift to navigate through. The application's theme colour is all orange and a sleeker design sums the whole experience up. Online shops are present for clothings, pharmaceuticals and supermarket products.

This new application also has voucher account where one can get redeemable points throughout the entire banking experience and these points can be used during shopping and other online transactions. 

Client's can now get used to the new application and should you get stuck anywhere one can always visit Mombasa branch at Moi Avenue or LOOP Nyali branch.

ANN PEGGY - INSPIRING WOMEN INTO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focussed on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all other distractions that life presents to them-Jack Canfield.  

We are seated in her office at the Pride Inn Paradise reception area, Serena, Mombasa. She calls her personal assistant to request her presence, and few minutes were enough to get her to her general manager, who intimated being a time freak during the exclusive interview with luizquincy.blogspot.com 

Ann. M. Safari, who has since rebranded to Ann Peggy narrates how her life growing up was hitchy. She was raised in Eastern Kenya, in a humble family of six. She is the third born. The hurdles she endured while growing up saw her loved ones miss out on basic essentials, and the shelter was  much pathetic.

"Well, I grew up in a very remote area in Machakos county, Eastern Kenya. I went to a normal village primary school up to class eight and cleared my primary school in 1988. I was lucky to find a place in a provincial, village primary school-Precious Blood Kilungu," she said with a hospitable chuckle.

"My parents were not very well off. I come from a very humble background. I grew up in a family where we used to miss even basics, which is food, clothing and the shelter was nothing to write on about,"  she added.

She saw her docile status elevate her to the place she is today. According to her, it was a privilege that she was able to reach the helm of her career path in hospitality and tourism management industry. She almost lost it all but managed to gain from the fact that her well up colleagues made her constantly look back on her then dysfunctioned family and tumoultously brace to rewrite a different story.

" I remember one time I took a friend of mine into our house and she was scared because she came from a well up family. And so I was privileged to rise up from that humble background to what I am today," said Peggy.

Her parents did not have a stable means of livelihood. They were thus unable to offer her the support she required to triumph academically. Growing up, she missed the basics as a girl and being in a good secondary school, she interacted with girls  from rich backgrounds, whereas she would miss out on essential necessities that any girl would crave in a Kenyan secondary school.

"Of course through high school, I struggled a bit. Because my parents were not able to support me adequately through high school and so I missed out on basics as a girl.... And I mean basics in high school. And so that makes you feel disadvantaged,"  clarified Peggy.

Her life took a different course altogether and she believes that had she not gone down the road that fate threw at her, she wouldn't have made it to where she stands now. Being on her final high school year, she underwent the ordeal of being sent home for fee arears on a regular. Albeit this, she managed to feign her coy during her final year in high school, but in reality, the challenges she endured then were much more intense.

"In a school with the rich, I would get sent home for school fees and when I was in form four for instance, I had a huge fee balance. And I think when I was sent home, that was the point of breakthrough for me. I knew I was a good girl on matters academics. Moreover, I missed University slot by two points. I believe because of the periods I was sent home since this distabilizes you towards exams," said Peggy.

" Did I regret missing out on campus? It is not bad that I missed a spot en-route higher education, because looking back, I think if I had gone to the varsity then, I wouldn't have been what I am today,"  said Peggy.

Four years after she had cleared her secondary education, life coerced her into stalling her personal, economic and social development and also forced her to deffer from the 8-4-4 curriculum. She later got an opportunity into a technical training institute where she took a 3-year diploma course that enabled her begin nurturing her profession that has to date cost her an arm and a leg, but whose cringe-worthiness she can not sweep under the carpet.

"I cleared my form four in 1992. After that, I had to dangle around home until 1996 September, when I would find my way to a technical training institute where I took a diploma in food and beverage management. And that's how I got myself into the hotel industry, said Peggy with a broad smile, garbed in a black, stripped suit that gave her a unique sartorial elegance.

" Not because I had a dream to become a hotellier. But because it was the only thing I found myself doing and when I found myself doing this, I purposed because I needed to write myself a different story," affirmed Peggy.

Raised up in a family of six, she grew up under jeopardizing circumstances which saw her elder brother-the first born, drop out in form two. Her sister was yet another subject of unfortunate fate, pulling off as prematurely as class seven only to get married because the family was in so much dysfunction and patience was just not her cup of tea.

" Countered with quite unfortunate circumstances while growing, I saw my elder brother and sister give up in life. My sister on the other hand got married after class seven. She couldn't put up with the trouble at home.  My elder brother; our first born, dropped out in form two because he could not cope with being sent home for school fees every now and again. As the third born, I had endeared up to form four and had missed campus by a shear two points, unable to write a different story for our family. I looked up to myself as the only person that could bring favor to our siblings below me and thus purposed to set a good example," said Peggy.

"At one point, I found myself as the black sheep in our family and so when I got myself to college, I decided to give it my all. I believe this also significantly played role in getting me where I am currently," said Peggy.

Her stretch towards becoming a lady general manager was much harnessed during her industrial attachment in Mombasa County, at Nyali beach. By then, Block Hotels, Nyali beach was one of the leading service providers in the hotel, hospitality and tourism management industry. And their faith in her then budding potential proved pivotal in her march, eight steps up the hierarchical ladder to place her as the incumbent general manager, Pride Inn Paradise hotels across Kenya.

"After the three year diploma in food and beverage management, I managed to source an internship with Block hotels at Nyali beach, which was one of the leading brands when I went on Industrial attachment in 1997 and this gave me the opportunity to see women in leadership. I remembered I admired particularly three ladies that still ring in my mind. I would mention their names but I don't have permission to do so. But I admired them. I admired and said wow! It must feel so good to be a manager...to be a lady manager in the hotel industry and I think this was a major fulcrum point in my professional life when I was on field attachment at Nyali beach, where managers would attend meetings, summits, attend cocktail events and all other stuff managers do. And I got inspired," explained Peggy.

ASLAY DID WELL SNUBING WCB FOR ROCKSTAR AFRICA?

Mombasa natives are known to have massive love for bongo flava and Aslay is one among the favourites in the area. 

The superstar has landed a big deal that has made him shout his comeback after a short snooze musically.

 'Subalkheri' hitmaker is known for making 'kaswida' - arab oriented music hits with popular themes in the ears of their audiences who mainly are the youths and high end women of Swahili  culture.

Swahili language has always gained attention within Mombasa and Aslay uses it to his edge by coupling lyrical genius and a mix of modern melodies that are marimba-sweet to locals. 

With fellow musicians thinking the former Yamoto lead singer was bound to falter, he signed a big recording deal with Rockstar Africa joining the likes of Abigail Chams, Ommy Dimpoz, and the renowned 'vitu vingi' rapper Young Lunya.

The record label which has now signed Aslay was pioneered by 'Seven' Mosha who was Alikiba's manager in the past.

Aslay has for long managed to withstand pressures to join fellow old Yamoto folk Mbosso by refusing to be lured by Diamond into joining Africa's arguably biggest record label WCB - Wasafi Records. Diamond Platnumz in a briefing to the fourth estate claimed that everyone knows Aslay and how much talented he is claiming that the latter would already have been a a major brand were he in his hands.

Recently, Aslay released his first project which constitutes an audio and video where he engaged harmonize in a collaborative piece that has been well received around Mombasa county. The song dubbed 'Follow me' is the first piece he has done after landing the Rockstar Africa deal.

He confirmed to his fans that he is back to business with a bang after his silent spell saying that it has been a long journey filled with optimism and positivity when it comes to him managing his music. He also reiterated that fans should expect bigger and better things as they watch him excel to the next level of his career. The singer forgot not to express deserved gratitude to the almighty Deity saying he has learnt a lot from the period he was away musically.

"I'm glad to announce to my fans and media persons and to every other person who follows me that I've lately joined Rockstar Africa @rockstarafrica," said Aslay.

He is among the most talented musicians Tanzania has and he previously used to be managed by Diamond's manager Mkubwa Fella. This explains why Platnumz thought of putting his hands on the Tanzania and Mombasa sensation.

The new jam he collaborated with Harmonize did not disappoint his fans within Mombasa as everyone is now talking of the hit song from Mtwapa to across Bamburi saying it was a well orchestrated work with video ad audio balance and full brilliance. Fans will still expect more sharp music from Aslay and this tremendous pressure still lays on his shoulder to deliver more after being signed to Rockstar.

It is evident that the musician will do more outstanding works as is his tradition. His exit in Yamoto Band was fueled by him doing solo hit after it and Mbosso, Enock Bella and Beka Flavour felt deserted. The group later disintegrated and Mbosso has done well since, being at WCB. Enock and Beka have struggled not to reach the heights of Mbosso. Albeit it, Aslay is still a gem that always did amazing works since the breakup of the group.

Alikiba who is affiliated to Rockstar Africa now has an upper hand with the gorgeous talent Aslay now in his hands as opposed to being in his rival's - Diamond platnumz.

BAUS TAKA JOINS MOMBASA COMMUNITY IN CLEANUP EXERCISE

The morning sweltering sun scorches as crowds gather outside Baus Taka Container in Old town, 11th of December 2022. 

Crowds murmur before the day's speakers took center stage to adress the community on proper waste management and disposal methods.

Miss Baus, 'Dr. Hatimy' herself urged individuals who took part in the Mombasa Cleanup Exercise to be vigilant on ensuring they don't litter the environment.

" If we don't litter the environment, we shall also ensure we don't do cleanups every so often, I hope we can do more community cleanups in future where we shall educate each other on climate action and environmental awareness," said Dr. Hatimy.

Old town is close by the ocean and plastic waste specifically mean that the marine ecosystem is at jeopardy should the waste find itself in the Indian Ocean.

The activity was smooth and devoid of hitches as social workers and community personnel engaged with Baus Taka to collect waste and significant was the 'door-to-door' waste collection across the neighborhood.

Scouts and Children from Makadara also walked along this important course and this ensures that we as a county have our younger generation well-mentored on environmental awareness issues.

The county government which co-planned the activity alongside Baus Taka Enterprise and other organizations, encouraged netizens to give their garbage to registered collectors including the aforesaid organization.

FALCON MFALME EYEING MORE WINS IN MUSIC INDUSTRY

We enter into a packed studio with monitor speakers, a keyboard, microphones, a fully soundproof booth with a guitar rested on the floor. Falcon Mfalme is just about to drop a banger and I grab him for an interview as we speak for an hour concerning the industry.

Speaking of life, he termed it as a constant hoisting and accepted that one can't accept to be at a stagnant place in life. As they say, change is inevitable.

"I can say life is all about elevation.Every level comes with a challenge,so basically,struggle is part of life so I can't say I'm struggling more than anybody else," said Falcon.

The afro pop singer has recorded some jams and he mentioned to me a single that did so well in his recent past. "I have recorded lots of music.Just to mention,"You my desire" was one of the best project I worked on in 2022," added the star.

Speaking of how musicians and their fandom compares distribution in Mombasa to Nairobi, Falcon terms music as a culture and says the Nairobi culture of music is equally prevalent in Mombasa. 

"Music is a culture. Lets say, music in Mombasa speaks alot about the way of the people in Mombasa and so distribution in Nairobi wouldn't be equally the same as it would be in Mombasa, so just like every people of another culture, it works the same. Music of the Nairobi culture is well distributed here than any other culture, just as it is in other counties," reiterated Falcon.

"5 years to come, I see more money. Music is a life to me and so I can't have an accurate answer for that, unless you got an answer for, 'where do you see life in 5 years.' Impossible, so 5 years will be more money," said a confident Mfalme.

SEX ESCORTS AND FRAUD IN KENYA

In the modern age, prostitution is next to normalcy and sex escort sites have now become a den for fraudsters who parade themselves as beautiful girls ready to give sexual pleasures at a fee.

With this, some netizens have got conned as they try to get online services which come at a cost.

In the past, clients would refuse to pay after getting services but now the narrative is shifting to the other dimension with escorts receiving cash and refusing to serve their clients.

Those who indulge in the trade should know it is risky and nothing comes for free.

Youths have also recently registered in such sites with the morals of Kenyan youths falling short often times. They are to this end subjected to the aftermaths of such a lucrative but tricky trade. Some policies ought to be enacted to curb and regulate the trade lest we risk losing youths through murders and others falling into fraud.