In April, textured hair educationalist Anne Veck, took on a training and educational opportunity in Uganda to empower and upskill young women in the small village of Namataba.
Anne’s journey began with a group of five young women. Anne said: “These were the most enthusiastic young women I have ever met. Their hunger and thirst for knowledge and teaching was a privilege to see and be a part of.”
The trip gave a deeper understanding for Anne of the next steps, and to bring some greater opportunity for further educating in this area. Having encountered these women and their thirst for learning, Anne understood what is needed to support them, and has committed to raising £5,000. This will fund a locally sourced educator for a whole year to teach weekly at the school. The school itself was built by Helen Margaret Owen – an inspiration British woman who used her life savings to build a school in a village that once had nothing.
Being a firm believer that mastery is not only in what is taken in, but it is what you give back, Anne was enriched by soaking up wisdom from the experts in Uganda and now feels invested in this work to help both support and grow.
“I had my scissors in hand and my soul on fire after teaching hairdressing to the next generation of stylists in Uganda,” she says. “I never tire of the joy of witnessing the potential for a spark of craft to turn into a career. Hairdressing gave me my life in the UK. When I arrived without speaking a word of English, it was the one skill that let me build a future. Now I want to pass that gift on – a guaranteed career path for these young women, just like the one hairdressing gave to me.”
