Waist beads are often spoken about as adornment, tradition, or symbolism, but for many women, they are also memory keepers. In this interview, Namena shares how waist beads have woven themselves into her life from childhood through adulthood, shaping how she understands beauty, femininity, and her body.

Her story is rooted in family, cultural inheritance, and lessons passed down from her mother that continue to resonate even now.

A First Memory at Five Years Old

Namena’s earliest memory of waist beads begins when she was just five years old.

Her mother gifted her a multicolored strand, one that Namena initially mistook for a necklace. What made the moment meaningful wasn’t just the beads themselves, but the lineage behind them.

Her mother shared that she, too, had received her first waist beads as a young girl. By passing them on, she was offering Namena the same experience: a gentle introduction to adornment, tradition, and self-awareness.

"She told me she got her first one when she was a little girl and wanted me to have the same experience," Namena recalls.

Becoming Like Her Mother

That first set of colorful waist beads remains especially significant to Namena. As a child, she admired everything her mother owned, and receiving her own beads felt like a rite of passage.

"I remember being in awe of everything I saw my mom own," she says. "Getting my own set truly made me giddy."

Her mother regularly wore waist beads, and Namena dreamed of one day having her own. Because her mother was such a source of comfort and inspiration, being gifted those beads felt deeply personal. Like an expression of love and closeness.

Learning to Love a Changing Body

One of the most powerful parts of Namena’s story is how waist beads shaped her relationship with her body over time.

She shares that she never developed negative feelings about her body growing up, something she attributes largely to her mother’s example. Her mother celebrated her own body openly, through clothing, jewelry, and language, and made a point to speak positively about bodily changes.

Her mother also prepared her for the reality that waist beads shift as bodies grow and change.

"She would remind me that as I grow, my beads would start to change how they fit on me," Namena explains. "And not to worry too much about that because it’s a natural part of life."

Those reminders became lessons in body acceptance, teaching her to love herself through every stage.

Cultural Meaning and Everyday Beauty

For Namena, waist beads carry deep cultural meaning. Her family is from The Gambia, where waist beads are worn for many reasons, both symbolic and practical.

They are used to enhance beauty, help alleviate stress and anxiety, and accentuate a woman’s natural curves. In her community, waist beads may also be worn to track weight changes, improve posture, or mark milestones like puberty and entry into womanhood.

"They look amazing on women," she says. "I love how they accentuate women’s unique curves."

Family Traditions and Lineage

Although Namena didn’t grow up surrounded by many elders, her mother’s relationship with waist beads remains the strongest familial connection she knows.

There are no specific family traditions tied to events like weddings or births that she’s aware of, but the act of her mother gifting her waist beads stands on its own as a meaningful tradition– one rooted in care, continuity, and affirmation.

A Special Set to Remember

Over the years, Namena has received many waist beads, but one particular set stands out.

They were glass beads in red, green, and white, colors that felt vibrant and luxurious compared to the plastic beads she wore before.

"I felt extra special when I got glass ones," she says, laughing.

That set marked a moment of feeling seen and elevated, reinforcing how materials, colors, and intention can deepen emotional attachment.

Wearing Waist Beads Today

While Namena owns waist beads, she isn’t currently wearing them.

She explains that she’s a bit clumsy and has accidentally broken strands she loved, so she now keeps her beads as keepsakes. Even so, the desire to wear them again remains.

"I definitely would love to start wearing them again," she shares.

Quick-Fire Round

Tie-on or clasped waist beads?
I prefer clasped waist beads. I feel those are more secure than tie-on ones.

Thin or chunky strands?
Thin so I can hide them under my clothes :)

Charms or no charms?
I’m extra so I love a good charm lol

Visible or hidden?
It depends on what I’m wearing :) sometimes I love to keep them hidden and other times I don’t mind if they show.

Cut them off or let them break naturally?
I have sentimental attachment to items so I would cut mine off instead of waiting for them to break.

A Living Memory

Namena’s story reminds us that waist beads are more than adornment. They are carriers of memory, tools for self-acceptance, and witnesses to growth.

Passed from mother to daughter, worn through seasons of change, and sometimes kept simply as keepsakes, waist beads continue to hold space for beauty, culture, and connection– exactly as they always have.

If you’d like to keep up with Namena’s journey, you can follow her on Instagram at @madamemotherland