Khaulah Abdulkadir

Ms. Khaulah Abdulkadir, born and raised in Lamu Old Town, Kenya, is a cultural heritage professional with over three years of volunteer experience working with the National Museums of Kenya at Lamu Museums, the Lamu World Heritage Site Conservation Office, and community-based heritage initiatives. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and has pursued certifications in Conservation, Digital Tools, Disaster Risk Management in World Heritage, and Project Management. She is deeply passionate about the preservation of Swahili cultural heritage, with a current focus on the restoration and adaptive reuse of traditional Swahili stone houses in response to increasing climate-related risks. Ms. Abdulkadir coordinates the CHiFA–OWHC Urban Heritage Regeneration Accelerator, working closely with heritage custodians in Lamu, local authorities, and the World Monuments Fund to support the conservation of Lamu Old Town’s built heritage. She is committed to advancing cultural tourism, with a focus on intangible cultural practices upheld by women, alongside promoting sustainable revenue models that strengthen livelihoods and improve quality of life in Lamu Old Town through the adaptive reuse of historic homes. Her work is driven by both the challenges she observes and the rich yet underutilized Swahili cultural heritage. A skilled communicator and advocate, she has been featured as a keynote speaker and presenter at major heritage events, including ICCROM Youth.Heritage.Africa programmes, the RHAM Convening, Amazwi's Literature Heritage Ecology Conference, and the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee at UNESCO Headquarters. She has also authored a zine on ancient Swahili midwifery customs, available at the historic Lamu Fort Library and in the Department of African Studies at Leiden University. She aims to further apply photogrammetry, 3D modelling, and GIS mapping to document and protect Lamu’s endangered Swahili architectural heritage in the context of climate change adaptation and risk mitigation.