<
https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/health/the-ivory-coast-hairdressers-tackling-a-mental-health-crisis/>
"When Marie-Alix de Putter’s husband was murdered in Cameroon 12 years ago, her
hairdresser was by her side to ease the pain of grief. De Putter was four
months pregnant and became deeply depressed, but the power of her relationship
with her hairdresser – alongside extensive psychotherapy – gave her the
strength and emotional support “to stay alive”, de Putter recalls.
Inspired by her experience, she founded Heal by Hair, an initiative that has
trained around 150 hairdressers across Togo, Ivory Coast and Cameroon in west
Africa to counsel their clients – all while getting their hair, nails and
facials done. Unlike in Europe, where women tend to visit their salons less
frequently, many African women regularly spend hours getting their hair washed
and braided.
“The biggest challenge was to convince the hairdressers of their value,” de
Putter says. “They didn’t believe me when I told them what they do is important
for their community.” Yet often, they are the only source of support."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
