Christine Wawira: Navigating life in the US while keeping my Kenyan roots alive
Christine Wawira Njagi.
When she first started acting, Christine Wawira Njagi decided that she was going to go by a stage name. She felt like her name was too hard to pronounce. “I looked up Arabic names and I really liked Naila. Also, Pierce Brosnan is one of my favourite actors - you may know him as the original James Bond. So Naila Pierce was born. Naila means one who acquires and attains,” offers the US-based Kenyan actress and model.
When she moved to Los Angeles, there was a time when she was getting her headshots printed and the man doing it was Indian. When she told him that she is from Kenya, where people enjoy Indian cuisine such as samosas and chapatis, he was surprised to learn that because her name is not Kenyan at all.
“I was getting the name Naila Pierce printed under my photos. He advised that I should keep my original identity because one day, people from my country would see my name and be so proud of me and support me. He told me they wouldn’t realise that Naila Pierce is a Kenyan, just from the name. He told me to be true to myself and authentic. It took me a few months to reverse the name but I eventually did and he was right! People from Kenya appreciate and relate to my name.” Christine says.
By the age of 12, she had lived in three different continents. She was born in Kenya and grew up in Nairobi’s Eastleigh until she was Seven when her family moved to London and later to the United States (US). “When I left Kenya, I wanted to be an actress,” starts the 35-year-old.
In the US, she joined North Cobb High School where she joined the drama club, and her love and passion for acting were actualised. The US-based Kenyan actress has since featured in over 17 Hollywood movies. “I starred in the romantic comedy Hola America in 2014 before starring in several other movies and TV shows, including Modern Family, Justice with Judge Mablean, Night Call, and Hacksaw. For my role in Night Call, I won the Best Actress award at the 2016 Diaspora Entertainment Awards and Recognition (Dear),” she says with a giggle. Dear Awards recognises exceptional individuals and organisations across various fields globally.
Christine is also a Hypnobabies instructor, a birth technique she hopes to bring to Kenya and eventually establish centers where water birth is an option for women all over the country.
Medical-grade hypnosis
“My journey as a Hypnobabies instructor started in 2011 with the birth of my son. Hypnobabies is a six-week class that teaches women how to use medical-grade hypnosis to eliminate discomfort during childbirth. I took the class when I was pregnant with him and I was able to have an unmedicated water birth with zero pain due to childbirth hypnosis. That’s where I first learned of the power of the mind. Never in a million years did I think that it was humanly possible to give birth with no drugs and no pain. Nine years after my son’s birth, I decided to become an instructor so that I can share this with women in Kenya and ultimately globally,” she explains.
Christine says that her proudest accomplishment thus far is becoming a mother. “When I first got pregnant in my early 20s, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I was embarrassed because it happened out of wedlock yet I am the daughter of a pastor. I carried a lot of guilt and shame around it but I decided to keep my baby regardless of how much shame it brought my family at the time. She’s now as tall as me and a teenager. My biggest lesson in life has been to let go and let God. Learning how to truly accept and surrender to the unexpected things that life throws us,” recounts the mother of two.
After the death of her mother, Christine was fired from her corporate job where she worked as a repairs supervisor for a company that sold blinds and shutters. “When my mom died, I had to take her body back to Kenya for burial and this meant that I had to take a month off from work. My then-employer let me go,”she recalls.
As she tried to figure out how to get back up, her best friend encouraged her to get into sales. He had been telling her about it for a year and a half, but she had been very hesitant about leaving an hourly job to work for a commission-based one.
“I finally gave it a shot and I honestly struggled during my first three months of doing door-to-door sales. I, however, joined Sunrun (American provider of electronic products). For the first time, I saw people who had no experience excel in this field and it gave me the confidence that I could too. Initially, I had only seen my best friend do really well and he had eight years of experience under his belt, so it was not clicking in my head that I could come in with absolutely no experience and do well until I saw others do the same. It has been a rewarding experience thus far,” she quips.
Doubting oneself
Given a chance to turn back the hand of time, Christine says the only thing she would change would be the much she doubted herself. She wishes she realised sooner how amazing, beautiful and powerful she is and how she is capable of doing anything she sets her mind on. Doubting oneself, she says, is such a waste of time.
Christine, who lost her mother to cardiac arrest in December 2020, says thinking about her children often is the one thing that keeps her awake at night.
“I miss them very much and miss the days when I could see them all the time. Due to the custody battle that I was in at the time of my mum’s passing, I’m not able to be with them as much as I used to be. I have since surrendered in that journey and I’m grateful for whatever time I get with them. I’m also aware that I do not own my children, they are their own individual beings and we are on this journey for a very specific reason. So in all things, I give thanks,” reveals the divorced actress.
On what the future looks like in her acting career, she discloses that she is in talks with a Kenyan filmmaker in the US and that they are coming up with some awesome ideas for films they are going to create.
As a parting shot, Ms Wawira encourages anyone that is going through a hard time. “Just know that in life, there must be duality. Ask yourself this, how will I ever experience bliss if I don’t go through the dark times? We appreciate the light because we know what it’s like to be in the dark. You have to have that contrast. Also, don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is part of success. You cannot have one without the other. So, the faster you’re willing to fail, the faster you’re able to get back up.”
