Before she became Nigeria’s dance queen and a Guinness World Record holder, Kafayat “Kaffy” Shafau lived a life of startling contrasts—one moment wrapped in wealth and glamour, the next plunged into hardship and hunger.
On the Honest Bunch Podcast, the renowned choreographer peeled back the layers of her childhood, revealing a story that is as raw as it is inspiring.
I. From Dollar Rain to Empty Plates
In the heyday of her parents’ wealth, Kaffy grew up in a household that glittered with status. Her parents, Alhaji Shafau and Alhaja Alake Lakonko, moved in the circles of Nigeria’s elite, hosting icons like Sunny Ade, Barrister, and Ebenezer Obey. “My parents were in the league of MKO Abiola,” Kaffy recalled. “They were the first people to spray dollar at parties.”
But when fortune shifted, it fell hard. Her father relocated to London and worked as a cleaner, while the family left behind sank into poverty. The glamorous receptions gave way to survival meals. As Kaffy put it bluntly: “I drank garri for seven months without break… there was no Kwashiorkor.”
II. Poverty Beyond the Stomach
The hunger was real, but what scarred deeper was the emotional toll. Kaffy revealed how the pressure cracked her mother’s mental health, sometimes resulting in “psychotic breaks” where her children bore the brunt of misplaced blame. It was not just survival of the body, but survival of the mind.
III. Childhood Hustle, Seeds of Resilience
Long before she was commanding stages, Kaffy was hustling to support her family. At just 11, after her parents’ separation, she and her siblings survived on little more than garri, while she harvested and sold vegetables to scrape by. Those early struggles forged the resilience and drive that would later fuel her artistry.
IV. From Garri Bowls to Global Records
Those years of brokenness planted the grit that carried Kaffy into greatness. She went on to shatter the Guinness World Record for the “Longest Dance Party,” build the Imagneto Dance Company, and redefine dance in Nigeria’s entertainment space. Her story is not merely about enduring hardship—it is about transforming pain into purpose.
Why Kaffy’s Story Matters
Her life reminds us that adversity doesn’t always end in defeat. From spraying dollars in ballrooms to soaking garri in silence, Kaffy’s journey proves that the human spirit can rise from the rubble of brokenness to shine with brilliance.
