Training by Regis Corporation during a prior mission, helped inspire the launch ofTHE BEAUTY SCHOOL OF RWANDA. (Photos by Peter Lien)
Our Associates have a dream and this September, Barbara Bylenga and Alix Samuelson, two Bpeace's volunteers, kick-off a multi-year effort to help realize it.
The dream: The Beauty School of Rwanda, a first of its kind vocational school bringing a future to the youth of Rwanda.
One of the first businesses to emerge when war ends is the business of beauty. Women return to the feminine community gathering in small salons to reconnect and feel good again. Rwanda has been no exception and four of Bpeace's Associates run bustling salons. So busy are these salons, and many others like them across the country, that supply cannot keep up with demand. Indeed despite high unemployment rates among Rwandans, salon workers are often not Rwandan. With no local training available owners must import skilled labor from nearby countries.
A big dream is born: In part inspired by the styling and color training they received last September from Bpeace volunteers and Regis Corporation, two of our Associates are opening a beauty vocational school for Rwandan youth. Their goal is to provide a vocation and a future for Rwandans and provide an ongoing labor stream for themselves and yes, their competitors.
This mission is the first of three Fall 2008 Bpeace missions which will help bring the school to life. Opening is planned for first half of 2009.
Regis Corporation has been with us from the start and continues to support the School with donations of training resources and time. But there is a $200,000 funding gap to close, remaining supply and equipment needs, and specialists to recruit. In the coming days and weeks there will be more resources available to learn about the school. But for now follow the action as Barb and Alix post daily updates on their mission work with Associates Jeanne and Sylvie.
Please pass the blog address on to those who might be inspired to help.
4 comments:
Hi Barbara and Alix, I did not know that you were going to Rwanda. Glad to hear that you are there. As for the hair products, I saw the Dark and Lovely hair product that Jeanne and Harriet spoke about at the large grocery (Pathmark like) store in Kigali. I asked the owner how he got the product and indicated that he ships it in and would be willing to add on needed product for our Associates if they needed it. It may one way for them to get reliable product from a reliable source.
Enjoy.
Sabra
Barbara and Alix have hit on an important angle. Women in east Africa will embrace this alternative and it has tremendous potential as a micro-enterprise. When I was a Peace Corps volunteer in neighboring Zaire (now the D.R. of the Congo), in small towns, salons served a vital networking function as well as contributing to women's self-esteem. Once trained, these women will make things happen! I will share your idea with some sixth graders in Wyoming today, perhaps I can get them on-board for fund-raising. (P.S. Barbara's sister Sharon and I met in Bukavu in 1986 and have been fast friends since.)
There is a must read book for the hairstylist coming out of hair school called ( From the bowl to the chair ) a must read for ten dollors.
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