This archive report was first published on 9 June 2020.
June 9, 2020
When Milka Njoroge moved to China in 2009, she was not prepared for the challenges she would face with her hair. Despite her best efforts, she found it difficult to find a hairstylist who could style her African hair, leading to frustration and desperation.
After a month of searching, Milka decided to take matters into her own hands and learn how to style her own hair. This marked the beginning of her natural hair journey, which would eventually lead to her becoming a successful natural hair stylist.
With her newfound skills, Milka started receiving inquiries from fellow Africans who were struggling to find hairstylists who could cater to their hair needs. This prompted her to create a YouTube account, where she could share her knowledge and skills with others.
“Circumstances forced me to learn how to make my own hair, and I didn’t want other Africans abroad to go through the same problems I went through when I first moved to China,” Milka explained in an interview.
Her YouTube channel, 4CHairChiq, quickly gained popularity, and she started receiving requests from people to style their hair. This marked the beginning of her career as a natural hair stylist, and she has since worked with high-end celebrities like Wahu and Size 8.
After five years in China, Milka settled back in Kenya and decided to pursue natural hair styling as a career. She says it was one of the best decisions she has ever made, as the uptake has been good, and people have now embraced natural hairstyles.
“Natural hair is easy to maintain and fairly affordable. In the past, people associated natural hairstyles with the poor, but now people appreciate art and simplicity,” Milka said.
Today, Milka mainly does house calls, but she can also be booked at the Afro Siri Salon in Westlands, Nairobi. Her clients can check out her work on YouTube and Instagram.
