Mwana Hadie Famau

Mwana Hadie Famau is a revered woman saint of Lamu Town, traditionally dated to around the 16th century; her tomb is held to be 300-400 years old, with no precise death date documented. She is remembered as a champion of the education and rights of women and children, teaching in both Arabic and Kiswahili and preaching that true Islam does not marginalize women. Her tomb in the Waungwana wa Yumbe (Moit) quarter of Lamu remains an active shrine where devotees make vows (kuweka nadhiri). She is a named historical/devotional figure, but her dates are undocumented and the identification is traditional/devotional. (Sources: National Museums of Kenya / Google Arts & Culture, 'Mwana Hadie Famau'; Eastleigh Voice, 'Lamu's 400-year-old tombs')