A hairdresser at Rapture Hair Scene in Main Street, Missy was recently selected to take part in the Hair Aid program, where qualified hairdressers teach people living in the slums of Quezon City, Manila their trade.

Missy, 28, loves hairdressing and is overly excited to use her skills in a way that can bring people out of poverty.

She’s one of a select few in the group that have received a grant from the Australian Government Department of Education and Training, through Endeavour Mobility Grants, to cover travel and accommodation expenses.

“We basically take people off the streets and teach them solid cutting skills,” Missy said.

“We also feed the students and their families while they’re there.”

Missy said a group of 27 will fly over to Manila in January and stay for seven days, eventually giving 10 people they’ve trained apprenticeships to further their education.

Hair Aid aims to empower people with skills in haircutting, enabling them to earn a living to buy food, water and provide shelter for themselves and their children.

The initiative is designed to create the opportunity for street families and people living in shanty towns and slum areas in Quezon City, Manilla to learn a livelihood skill that can be used immediately after the five day training program to earn money.

Missy was told to apply for the opportunity by a teacher from Nepean TAFE, and she thinks it will be a life-changing experience.

For these people being given a shot at a new way of life, Missy said they’ll learn much more than just cutting hair.

“They’re learning great people skills, teaching them one solid cut is opening up a whole new future for them.”

Missy herself would like to teach hairdressing at TAFE in the future, and this could be a journey that puts her further along that path.

“It’s definitely something I’ll be looking at in the long-term… I’ve always wanted to do hairdressing and I think it’s great to be able to teach others.”

You can find out more information about Hair Aid at http://www.hairaid.org.au/