Youths offered free back to school haircuts
It is said that first impressions are lasting. For thousands preparing to get back to the classrooms next Wednesday, the uniforms are important. But to look totally smart, they also need fresh haircuts. News Five’s Jose Sanchez hit the streets today and found a group of youths who are giving their time and skills in time for the new school year.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Primary Schools are about to open and after paying fees, there may not be enough money left over for the all important back to school haircut. That haircut is essential for the first impression with classmates. Some youths in the Faber’s Road area have decided to give free haircuts for primary school kids.
Brian Dena, Organizer, Back to School Trimming Drive
brian dena
“We’re having a back to school trimming drive and the reason for this is because we’re trying to help out the needy youths of south side who probably will go back to school without that trim. So we’re just trying to help them out for looking sharp for going back to school.”
Jose Sanchez
“Okay, this is something close to your heart. What happens when you see these kids in the past when they didn’t have a haircut?”
Brian Dena
“Back in the days we went to school, we used to find friend that didn’t use to go to school with a haircut and you find friends teasing them about dehn noh have no money or dehn noh look good and dehn have picky head and dat kind of stuff. So all that used to touch me and I get inspired by that. So this time I want look back to the youths dehn and help dehn up and get dehn sharp up fi school.”
The organizers of the Back to School Trimming Drive want support to give more to the needy kids.
edmond staine
Edmond Staine, Organizer, Back to School Trimming Drive
“We have four of us currently working but we’re trying to get as much machines as possible because we’re limited on resources. So the more help we get, the more people we’ll be able to help. We have more guys that are willing to help us cut but we don’t have the amount of machines to facilitate the help.”
Jose Sanchez
“So anybody who have an extra machine at home that they don’t want anymore they can contribute.”
Edmond Staine
“Well, even if they want it, we can just borrow it for he time period and return it. Any support we can get—if somebody has one to give us or lend us we will be open to receive those type of support.”
Jose Sanchez
“It’s not a haircut, you want to do more for these kids don’t you?”
Edmond Staine
“Definitely, we would like to solicit some support to try to get some basic school supplies for the kids. I remember at my school, I had a lot of poor kids in my class. I went to Saint John Vianney and students had the same supplies from the year before, sometimes the same uniform. Whatever type of help we could get. Ih could be school books, wah uniform, wah little old tennis or anything, wah school bag or something. Just something these kids can use to go back to school. It will help to boost their morale at school. Kids always try to clown the ones that are less fortunate and this is the type of stuff that keeps back a lot of people from focusing and being the best they can be.”
Jose Sanchez
“Tell me what you think about the haircut.”
Julius Dawson
“Good.”
Jose Sanchez
“Which school you go to?”
Julius Dawson
“Vianney.”
Jose Sanchez
“How you feel fi go back with wah fresh haircut fi di new school year?”
Julius Dawson
“Good.”
Austin King
“My name is Austin and I’m looking forward to go back to my school.”
Jose Sanchez
“Yoh had wah lee afro pan yoh head, how you feel now fi have dah breeze inna yoh head now?”
Austin King
“Good.”
Chad Ramirez
“My name is—I name Chad.”
Jose Sanchez
“What school do you attend?”
Chad Ramirez
“Muslim.”
Jose Sanchez
“Are you looking forward to going back to school?”
Chad Ramirez
“Yes sir.”
Jose Sanchez
“How old are you?”
Chad Ramirez
“Nine.”
Jose Sanchez
“What do you think about this free haircut?”
Chad Ramirez
“Good.”
Jose Sanchez
“You like it?”
Chad Ramirez
“Yes sir.”
Jose Sanchez
“What’s your name?”
Reagan
“Reagan.”
Jose Sanchez
“And which school you goh?”
Reagan
“Muslim.”
Jose Sanchez
“Were you looking forward to getting this haircut?”
Reagan
“Yeah.”
Jose Sanchez
“You think dehn gial wah like si yoh when yoh get dah haircut?”
Reagan
“I no know.”
Derrick ‘Scientist’ Williams
“They are doing a good job for the community fi help us to go to school wit new haircut.”
Jose Sanchez
“And does this make you feel proud that these men are from your neighborhood?”
Derrick Williams
“Yes sir.”
Jose Sanchez
“How many kids do you expect to see over the next few days?
Brian Dena
“Well, we’re aiming for at least a hundred and if possible we’ll extend to fifty more.”
Jose Sanchez
“Where is all this happening?”
Brian Dena
“The address is 4323 Faber’s Road and y contact number is 605-4997. Directions? It could be from the Central American boulevard, after three bumps it will be the sixth house on the right hand side.”
The Back to School Trimming Drive will be held on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from nine a.m. to five p.m. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
When others inspire others to do the right thing, a country, a people can change.
free hair cuts for the kids back to school, what a lovely idea.
Thanks Brain and Edmond for helping these kids.
Wonderful, so refreshing to c something positive. These guys r an inspiration. God bless them!
I love this idea! A wonderful way to give back!
We need people who want to give back to the community. They are willing to spend their time giving the kids new haircuts. They are blessed. Let’s hope that more Belizeans are willing to give some of their time to help out our youths in whichever fashions that may be. God bless Belize
Thanks Edmond, Brian and the rest of you thoughtful young men. I am sure these younger ones truely appreciate the kind gesture on their behalf, even though they might not know how to really put it in words. As a youth coming up myself when I needed a hair cut and my poor Mom could not afford the .25cents to pay ” 2 Men” to cut my hair, she would attempt to do it herself.
Bwaiiii…….. the amount of shilling she left in my head made me the laughing stock of all my class mates.
Bless her heart……….
So once again, in recognition of your kindness and on behalf of all the recipients……..many thanks!!!
Big Kudos to UB Student Edmund Staine!!! You gonna go far with that positive ambition my youth!!! Nough Love Always.
These boys are products of Gwen Liz. It’s good to see that despite challenges facing that school, good things can come out of it. That neighborhood needs more Dena’s and Staine’s. Very proud of them.
I hope they can encourage other barbers to do the same in the future or they make it an annual event. it’s a first. bu t i think people will contribute to the effort next time around. good job.
This is a GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE ALL SHOULD BE DOING ON DIFFERENT LEVELS.
jan bless to my belizean brothers working on a positive attitude towards the city life of violence showing that positive people can change the face of the city. hoping you guys can continue these idea every school year to later become a simbolic time for showing that there in between the thugs people of positive mentality live with a chance of changing thecommunity. brilliant idea.
That is sooo sweet…my heart is full…positive actions bring forth positive reactions….you guys are the best and the rest of us need to take your example and run with it….it’s good to read something positive for a change…keep up the good work…very inspirational…
It’s so amazing what their doing :),_ helping out like that_, I’m really loving the positivity, and it’s things like these that need to hit the limelight more often!………………..PEACE & HAPPINESS!
Great story!!! Kudos to the men who are giving these haircuts to these children…..I pray for you to continue being blessed as you provide blessings to others!!!!