Coronavirus hairstyle turns heads in Kenya
Photographer Donwilson Odhiambo has seen a lot, but now he's come across artwork no one in Kenya had ever seen: the coronavirus hairstyle. A Kibera mother uses her daughters' hair to raise awareness about the pandemic.
Wearing coronavirus as a hairstyle
Donwilson Odhiambo, a photographer from Nairobi has stumbled upon something very unique during the COVID-19 pandemic: the coronavirus hairstyle. Since then it has become his favourite topic. "This was something deep because it’s something that no one has done in Kenya. No one has done it anywhere else," Donwilson Odhiambo says.
Raising awareness in the Kibera slum
Kibera resident Mable Etambo has been spreading awareness about the pandemic through a simple hairstyle: "With the corona hairstyle we would like to tell people to keep distance, to wear masks wherever they go and to wash their hands regularly or use sanitizers to protect themselves."
Kenya's schools are closed
Schools in Kenya have been closed during the outbreak. So Etambo makes sure her daughters understand the meaning behind the hairstyle and the importance of adhering to government measures to combat the pandemic. "I like it because it shows that corona is real so we should take it seriously," says her daughter Martha Apisa.
Teaching shape and colors
Not only did Mable Etambo design the hairstyle in the shape of of the corona virus, she also use colored thread to represent the colors of the virus itself. "The pink color represents the protein layer, the maroon is the fatty layer and the zigzag is the crown," she explains. She hopes to continue her new-found talent as a hair-stylist even after the pandemic is over.