Including 2012 Houston High School graduate Carmen Floyd, a group of cosmetology students at a trade school in Springfield are helping train the next professionals in their industry a half a world away.
After the Academy of Hair Design in Springfield partnered with Africa New Life to build a school of cosmetology in Rwanda, the sister school (called The Dream Academy of Hair Design) opened in November. Despite being separated by thousands of miles, students at the two facilities were able to meet for the first time via Skype on Nov. 27.
While salons were among the first businesses to rebuild following the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, the tiny republic in east-central Africa still hasn’t had much to offer aspiring cosmetologists in terms of training.
“Just to be a part of that is exciting,” said the Academy of Hair Design’s Linda Daugherty. “In a country that has 40-percent unemployment, this is a way for us to be part of a solution for them.”
Proceeds from salon services at the Springfield academy will be donated to Africa New Life and the organization’s local community. In July, some of the Missouri school’s students will have the chance to travel to Rwanda and see their sister school in action first hand.
Floyd graduated from HHS last May and will finish her schooling at The Academy of Hair Design next May. She plans to then move back to Houston and find work in her field, and hopes to someday open her own salon.
“It’s very neat to see what it is like in Africa and how much different it is in the beauty industry,” Floyd said. “When you think of Africa, cosmetology is not the first thing you think of. Well, for me it’s not, but in reality Africa has a lot of different impacts on the beauty industry.”
Floyd and her fellow students have learned via video that many women attending the Rwandan sister school have to walk two or more hours to get there each morning.
“You can tell they’re really blessed to be able to attend a school that will provide their family with money in the future and give them hope,” Floyd said. “I’ve learned to not take so much for granted, because they have to give so much and they are still very happy and always so excited to learn.”