Nanjala Design

Something cool I’ve been working on with an architectural visualizer, the sky isn’t the limit 🖤 nanjaladesign.com/portfolio/ligh… With Daniel Echessa and @TeresaLubano

"She saved a stranger’s child with $15. Decades later, she discovered why he had been searching for her. In 1982, a Kenyan boy named Chris Mburu stood on the brink of losing everything. He was the brightest student in his rural district, studying by lamplight inside an earthen house without electricity. But his family could not afford his school fees. Without help, his education would end — along with any chance of escaping a life spent picking coffee in the fields. Meanwhile, across the world in Sweden, an 80-year-old kindergarten teacher named Hilde Back came across a notice for a child sponsorship program. She chose a name from a list: Chris Mburu, Kenya. She began sending $15 every school term. There was no recognition, no expectation of gratitude — just a quiet decision to help a child she believed she would never meet. That small amount changed everything. Chris stayed in school. Over time, he and Hilde exchanged letters. She asked about his teachers, his studies, and his dreams. Through her words, he realized she wasn’t just part of an organization. She was a real person who believed in him. And he never forgot her. Chris eventually graduated at the top of his law class at the University of Nairobi. He later earned a Fulbright scholarship to Harvard. He went on to become a United Nations human rights lawyer, helping prosecute genocide and crimes against humanity around the world. Yet one thing always weighed on his heart. He had never properly thanked the woman who made his journey possible. In truth, he barely knew who she was. In 2001, Chris founded a scholarship program for children like himself — talented students from poor families whose potential might otherwise be lost. He asked the Swedish Ambassador in Kenya to help him locate his mysterious sponsor so he could name the foundation after her. They found her. Hilde Back. Still alive. Still living quietly in Sweden. Chris traveled to meet her for the first time. He expected to meet a wealthy philanthropist. Instead, he found a humble, warm woman living simply — genuinely surprised that anyone considered her actions remarkable. Then filmmaker Jennifer Arnold began documenting their reunion. During her research, she uncovered something Hilde had never told Chris. Hilde Back had not been born in Sweden. She was born in Nazi Germany in 1922 to a Jewish family. At sixteen, when Hitler’s Nuremberg Laws banned Jewish children from attending school, strangers helped smuggle her to Sweden. Her parents stayed behind because Sweden’s refugee policies did not allow older Jews to enter. Both were later sent to concentration camps. Her father died there. Her mother disappeared, never to be heard from again. Hilde survived the Holocaust because strangers helped her escape. She lost her own education because of who she was. Fifty years later, she quietly paid for the education of a child across the world — a child who would grow up to fight the same hatred that destroyed her family. When Chris learned her story, he wept. Hilde, meanwhile, had no idea that the boy she sponsored had devoted his life to prosecuting genocide. In 2003, Hilde traveled to Kenya for the inauguration of the Hilde Back Education Fund. The entire village welcomed her as an honorary elder. In 2012, she returned again to celebrate her 90th birthday, surrounded by hundreds of children whose futures had been transformed through her generosity. Hilde Back passed away on January 13, 2021, at the age of 98. Today, the Hilde Back Education Fund has supported nearly 1,000 Kenyan children in continuing their education. Many have graduated from universities around the world. Many now give back — mentoring younger students and contributing monthly donations to support the next generation. One woman. Fifteen dollars. One child. That child created a foundation. That foundation changed hundreds of lives. And those lives continue to change others.

This video is less than 5 minutes long. When you find time today, watch it. Again.

This is one of the most extraordinary things you will see, by Marula Eugster Rigolo

MetaSkillz Contest 2025 reminded me why we started UndaMeta: to spotlight the best of Afrikan-inspired pattern design. On 15 Dec 2025, we wrapped with an awards ceremony ✨ Reflections: medium.com/nd-notes/metas… #MetaSkillzContest2025 #BeMetaordinary #UndaMeta

Former Botswana President Ian Khama words!!

You are actually a famous artist😊

Amazing work!

At UndaMeta, we see the opportunities to reshape Kenya’s textile and fashion industry in a way that benefits everyone. Read the article to know more. 🤗 undameta.com/can-kenya-reim… #agoa #apparel #africafashion #kenya #trade #fashion #undameta #BeMetaordinary 2/2

Kenya’s apparel future isn’t just about one trade deal. It’s about making bold moves, creating smart policies, and really backing our local creators and makers. 1/2

@ShopNanjala These long rains provide the perfect time to plant fruit trees!

Sweet deals await! 🍎 All March & April, enjoy 15% off on absolutely all #fruit #tree #seedlings Don't miss this sweet deal! Only at shopnanjala.com

UndaMeta’s first-ever 3D digital campaign, Be MetaOrdinary” was a resounding success! To know more about the #BeMetaordinary campaign read ➡️ undameta.com/be-metaordinar…

Representing UndaMeta at the @globalfashioningassembly are co-founders @teresalubano and Dr Francisca Odundo. See you there💫 💃🏼 To register see here: eventbrite.com/e/ownyourcultu…?

Join UndaMeta's co-founders at the GFA 2024 for an insightful conversation on decolonizing fashion. They'll share their perspectives on reshaping the industry, challenging conventions, & envisioning a more inclusive future. Don't miss out! eventbrite.com/e/ownyourcultu…

Stripes are versatile prints that work perfectly for utility clothing or upholstery. This 100% drill cotton apron with Jungle Stripes print by combines simplicity with sophistication. Print retailing at undameta.com Image: @krobathkarin #patterndesign #textiles

No 2: Spotlighting Anovuyo Mali, Designer at Lapis Ya Zulla 🌍✨ Anovuyo envisions a vibrant future for Africa’s fashion industry, where tradition meets modernity © @lapis_ya_zulla #anovuyomali #lapisyazulla #africandesign #heritageandmodernity #textile design #undametacreators

No 1: Spotlighting AnnaOkumuMbogo Prints. From chic khangas to stunning Afrikan designs - explore her mesmerizing prints. She believes in the next decade, a love for Africa's fashion will growing tremendously. #annaokumumbogo #undametacreators #afrikaninspired #pattern #design

How simple is it to get custom-stitched fabrics? • Log on to UndaMeta. • Pick a pattern. • Pick your fabric & meterage you need. • Add a note at checkout with your stitching instructions. • Complete your order, and that’s it! 🌍 Visit us: undameta.com

Never did pineapples 🍍 look so sublime! A print that celebrates #Thika, where roadside sellers hail passing cars to stop for sweet pineapples! Print at undameta.com #metameta #ananas #pineapple #sublime #glory #nanjaladesign #undametacreators #utilitarian #pattern