Vana Life Lesson: This is me
The challenges that I have faced over the past year while setting up a business have been unrelenting. Overcoming each hurdle has been a special kind of training that has improved my form as an entrepreneur. As a little Kenyan girl, free of the burdens we pick up along life's journey, I wanted to grow up and become many things, even a neurosurgeon, but, never an entrepreneur!
The story of #VanaNaturals began long before I knew what Shea butter was, before I had ever heard of Ayurveda and the benefits of red hibiscus powder on natural hair. It began on a Cape Town morning in early 2008. I had been weary of my relaxed hair for a while, it was long and relatively easy to maintain, but I had started to have a nagging feeling, a pull away from that phase into a new one. When I got to the hair salon, Tracy, my stylist, tried to dissuade me but eventually the scissors came out and so did every last bit of my chemically treated hair. After selfies, a wash and a deep condition, I installed dreadlocks which I loved on and nurtured for almost 9 years.
When I learnt that I was pregnant with a little girl in 2015, a shift happened. Many shifts, but significantly, I realised, in addition to nurturing her character, I would also need to nurture her hair. What kind of hair would she have? What products were 'good'? Which ones were safe? What ingredients were the healthiest alternative? Which ingredients would I avoid?
A considerable amount of YouTube hours and many moons later, a whole new world of natural hair products and care was opened up to me and it was massive and overwhelming. I immersed myself in this space where as an African woman, I should have known about how to care for my hair. However, no one had ever taught me these things, shared this golden knowledge. I had also never thought to look, until my daughter became the reality that inspired me to search for the perfect natural and organic solution to caring for our hair and skin.
The answers I found along the way have so far led me on an adventure that I am excited to share with you on this blog.