Eden Lodge trust gives boys back-to-school haircut

Several boys received free haircuts ahead of the new school term on Sunday as the Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust concluded its annual back-to-school programme in partnership with Sandy Lane Charitable Trust and Drug Education and Counselling Services (DECS) – Youth Empowered and Alive (YEA).

The final touch of grooming was held at the DECS–YEA Centre on Roebuck Street, as the organisations partnered in an effort to prepare students for the return to school.

Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust public relations officer Billie-June Langdon said the haircutting initiative was the final leg of the charity’s back-to-school programme.

“We always look forward to this part of it where these boys get the opportunity to come this morning to get their haircuts, to get the grooming done, you know, to look spick and span for the back to school.

“This is a genuine effort and a genuine initiative from the charity that we do look forward to every year.”

She added: “I’m sure that you know you would glad to come here this Sunday morning to get those haircuts to interact with other boys who are here as well. And it… means a lot to us.”

Sandy Lane Charitable Trust trustee Mark Pendry said: “We’re here to put the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle.

“There’s a huge amount of focus for these young men to get back to school with their uniforms and their books and their pens and their pencils, but obviously a big part of that when you turn up back to school is to look the part as well.”

Back row: The Sandy Lane Charitable Trust Project coordinator and administrator Nekei Grant, Public Relations Officer of the Eden Lodge Youth Charitable Trust, Billie-June Langdon, Director of DECS – YEA Centre, Roger Husbands; and Sandy Lane Charitable Trust trustee Mark Pendry (LE)

He said the initiative also demonstrated what could happen when organisations worked together to support young people and highlighted the story of  barbering trainee Brianna Streeks.

“There’s a great success story that’s came out of this project, and we’ve got a young lady with us today, Brianna, who actually is part of the DECS project. She was trained through their barbershop school. She’s now finished with that, and… she’s working in the community, and she’s here today and giving her time back.”

Director of the DECS–YEA Centre Roger Husbands said: “It’s our pleasure to not only provide the facility, but to also provide the young people from the second chance lessons who are in our barbering school or in our barbering classes.

“They come each year graciously, freely, voluntarily to come and just support and help the Eden Lodge Charitable Trust with the young persons that they have.”

He said the partnership was particularly meaningful because of the work DECS did with young people on substance abuse problems and behavioral issues.

Husbands added:“We see our partnership with the Eden Lodge Charitable Trust along with the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust as a very meaningful partnership, and as we continue to help our young people in Barbados to become productive citizens in our society.”

Among those volunteering her time was Streeks, who works at Cutzbydari, a barbershop on Hindsbury Road. “I’m honoured to be able to do this charity for the last past three years, and I would like to thank Roger for having this opportunity to me. And it’s an honour and responsibility to be able to doing this.”

Streeks said her interest in barbering developed from watching barbers work while accompanying her brother to the shop.

“And it’s been a very good moment to share with my brother, as well as he is a part of my barbering career as being a model to me.”

Streeks was also a participant in the Second Chance barbering programme and said the training helped shape her approach to the profession.

She encouraged anyone interested in barbering to approach it with patience and discipline, “make sure that you don’t give up so easily, and just continue to be working consistently”. (LE)