Philippines a colourful experience for hairdresser

Tutors had to be resourceful when teaching colour application to students in Lipa.

When Carol Hayward took her hairdressing skills to the Philippines last month, she was prepared for an emotional experience.

The Whanganui salon owner was the only Kiwi among 60 Australasians selected to take part in Schwarzkopf Professional's Shaping Futures initiative.

"We were based in the city of Lipa in the Batangas province which is south of Manila," says Ms Hayward.

"We worked in groups of four hairdressers but ours was a group of three because one person had to pull out and we were assigned to teach colour application.

"That would have been great but we had 22 students to one basin that was hooked up to a water tank and it hadn't rained for a while.

"Working in those limited conditions made us very resourceful."

Ms Hayward said the students welcomed their tutors warmly and most understood English well.

"I found that I could understand them quite well too and I surprised them by picking up on their conversations.

"Some of them had very sad lives and had grown up in orphanages after their parents died when they were little children.

"They have very strong religious faith and I think that is what helps them maintain a positive attitude."

Working alongside Ms Hayward were Melbourne hairdressers Geoffry Herberg and Rebecca Young.

"They were great to work with and we formed an efficient team.

"Geoffry is great because he has been involved with Shaping Futures and other charitable initiatives for a while.

"It was very hot and we worked six days a week from 8am until 4pm in 35C.

"We were fed five times a day and every meal seemed like a banquet."

Despite the heat and new customs, Ms Hayward said she felt she assimilated quickly.

Having financed her travel costs and taken two weeks away from her business, Ms Hayward said she was not likely to repeat the experience.

"I am so glad that I did it and I was prepared to make that one-off commitment.

"The most rewarding part of the experience for me was seeing the students lifting their chins and gaining confidence.

"Some of them will not become hairdressers but they tried something new and gained self-esteem."

The Shaping Futures initiative started in 2008 when Japanese Schwarzkopf Professional employees travelled to Cambodia to teach basic hairdressing skills to disadvantaged young adults.

The programme has now reached 25 countries, influencing the lives of more than 1200 young adults.