Since September 2004, International Medical Corps has supported a community-initiated beauty school, helping people from families facing severe economic hardship become hairstyling, manicure, and pedicure professionals with a three-month course. Initially, International Medical Corps had beauty school teachers, Aisa and her friend Luiza, train students whose tuition was subsidized by the organization. Soon the salon expanded and the trainers accepted paying students as well. To date, 180 families have benefited from the training and more than 56 kids from Grozny’s Children’s Social Services have received free haircuts from the students.
“Who doesn’t want to look pretty,” Aisa asks from the desk of her modest new office north of the Chechen capitol, Grozny. Her cool blue eyes show that she’s not being vain. It’s something much more universal.
As the Second Chechnya War subsides, Grozny’s residents struggle to restore the city’s former majesty, building new facades and restaurants next to shells of buildings that have been obliterated by artillery. But in the northern neighborhood of Ivanova, Staropromoslovsky, regular people like Aisa are working on another kind of makeover.
Since September 2004, International Medical Corps has supported a community-initiated beauty school, helping people from families facing severe economic hardship become hairstyling, manicure, and pedicure professionals with a three-month course. Initially, International Medical Corps had beauty school teachers, Aisa and her friend Luiza, train students whose tuition was subsidized by the organization. Soon the salon expanded and the trainers accepted paying students as well. To date, 180 families have benefited from the training and more than 56 kids from Grozny’s Children’s Social Services have received free haircuts from the students.
Inside the beauty school one finds curved mirrors, scissors, clippers, combs, water spray bottles and gel, just like other salons around the world. A young woman works on her customer’s part and hairline. The other boys watch and wait for their turns. It is easy to see the students developing an artist’s pride. Twenty-seven-year-old Zarema graduated from the course in April and is very confident.
“My childhood was good,” she says. “I worked in a sewing shop making clothes. Then I worked for the Ingush national dance troupe. During the war I went to Ingushetia. In my life the most important thing has been praying five times a day. The second most important thing was learning how to style hair. I had half of the skills and the teachers taught me the other half. I dream of opening my own salon, but until then, I’ll practice.”
Aisa applauds Zarema’s attitude.
“There are different kinds of students,” Aisa says. “We have been lucky to have good students. Zarema’s husband is disabled, so it is good for her. Those without money cut their neighbors’ and friends’ hair if they can’t find work. Maybe a girl is getting married and needs her hair done. I can earn money at home even if I don’t have a job.”
Aisa’s teaching partner, Luiza, was once a student and compares their new beauty school with others. This is the only course in Grozny that offers students an official certificate.
“Other courses cost $110 to $150, a full month’s average salary and are not as good as International Medical Corps’ courses,” Luiza says.
International Medical Corps’ Community Mobilization program operates throughout Chechnya and Ingushetia, using a participatory development model to create volunteer problem-solving groups within vulnerable populations, particularly those displaced by war. The program focuses on public health, food security, educational and economic issues.
Micro-projects like the beauty school are established to help communities share benefits and eventually own the project cooperatively. Aisa and Luiza will become co-leaders of the school, but will continue to offer free haircuts to orphans and other people who could not otherwise afford them.
The participants are dedicated to their culture and compatible fashion. They wear black and colorful patterned blouses. The women style their hair, sometimes dyed blonde, but covered by a scarf. They are survivors of two sieges on the city and are trying to find a way to earn money to support their family members and themselves. They hope to restore their city’s beauty, one person at a time.