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Across the vibrant neighborhood of Yopougon, renowned for its commercial energy and dynamic nightlife, a subtle revolution is unfolding. Locally, stylists are taking on roles as psychological well-being counselors, giving someone to talk to together with haircuts.

A Trailblazer in Local Assistance

Adjoua Catherine Tano, in her late forties, has invested a long career not only cutting and styling hair but additionally offering emotional guidance to her clients. A school dropout, she earlier tried being a financial clerk before choosing her path in styling.

“Stay positive,” the stylist told an anxious young person fearing academic failure. “Even if you fail, how is it possible to believe that everything is lost in life?”

Emotional Well-being in the Region: A Taboo Subject

According to the WHO, over millions of people in Africa face emotional disorders. However, professional help is scarce, with merely very few specialists present for every a large population.

Throughout Black communities, styling studios are now trusted environments, particularly in regions with little or no access to mental health care.

Heal by Hair: A Project Making a Difference

A nonprofit organization, active in Cameroon, another nation, and Togo, has launched the Hairdresser Healing project. As stated by the program's creator, the founder, over 400 hairdressers underwent coaching during the previous 24 months to serve as initial support providers, helping in excess of a large number of female clients.

Within this decade, the target is to train over 1,000 hairdressers across various regions.

‘The Confidence Is Already There In Place’

The project was inspired from a personal tragedy. In 2012, de Putter experienced a murder during on a trip her native Cameroon. The event has not been closed.

“I endured my first night in grief alongside my stylist,” de Putter shared. “The hairdresser became the person I trusted the most because you are simply in the presence of others and you don’t know what happened.”

Inspired by these events, the foundation completed a recent survey across multiple Francophone countries. The findings indicated that most participants admitted to sharing with their hairdressers, and in excess of 90% of hairdressers stated that customers had requested guidance.

Education and Assistance

The program features a no-cost, comprehensive multi-day course with specialists and professionals who educate trainees about supportive dialogue, domestic abuse, signs of depression, and introductory mental health principles. After completion, tests are taken before obtaining a credential.

“The program went very well … I received my certificate and this knowledge,” said a participant, pointing to a mental health book in her shop in a working-class area.

Throughout half a year, trainees obtain continuous assistance through peer groups and availability of a professional support network. When a client shares deeper troubles, hairdressers can guide them to professional psychologists, or for instances of family conflict, to the authorities.

Challenges and Triumphs

In the beginning, funding for the project was primarily from personal funds, but today, private donors and institutions like a support agency are contributing. Nevertheless, support is insufficient for the volume of demand facing the foundation’s small team of workers and about unpaid helpers.

Regardless of these obstacles, the program has stories of joy and improvement. In Togo, a hairdresser took on someone who had been in a treatment center, giving reintegration support.

“Commonly after an illness and you’ve been hospitalised, people say you are unstable,” explained the founder. “However, if you find work and someone who accepts to train you, you break free from the misconception.”

A further professional escaped her home due to she was a subjected to harm, but currently supports others. In certain areas, beauticians mention that a few men have started reaching out for counsel.

A Sense of Fulfillment

Across the hairdressers, is present a common sentiment of fulfillment over their new role as a type of emotional support in their local areas.

“As individuals visit explain their problems to me, it's an honor for me too as I understand that I am an ear for someone,” said Gueu. “I reflect that each person needs a confidant.”

“For a lot of of these women, it represents the initial validation as a leader in their neighborhood and a supporter,” said she. “They state to us: ‘Previously I merely styling, currently I do healing.’”