In Togo, HI supports Lakaza, a renowned hairdresser

From school to vocational training

20-year-old Lakaza Koudjoukalo bustles about her salon “Coiffure Jolie Jolie”, busy braiding the hair of a woman who has come in for a haircut with her little girl. Lakaza is a master hairdresser, a profession she chose while still a teenager and which she now practices with passion.

“I used to go to school but I wanted to stop to learn a trade, which is how I got into hairdressing. Now I run my own salon and pass on my skills to young girls,” she explains in sign language.

Lakaza was born deaf and nonspeaking. Her mother, Agba Hodalo, recalls the moment she realized her daughter had a disability. “I had six children, but Lakaza is the only one who was born deaf. When I found out, I cried a lot; I felt helpless… it hasn’t always been easy. At the first school I took her to, the teacher didn’t understand her and, rather than admit he didn’t know how to support her, he tried to send her away by making up all sorts of excuses.”

It was only when the family moved to northern Togo that Lakaza was able to attend school for several years. But, upon reaching Year 6, the young girl insisted on starting a hairdressing course.

Opening her own salon

In Togo, HI supports the education and vocational training of children and young people with physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities, notably through the Inclusive Education & Vocational Training project. HI has helped young people with disabilities who are outside the school system to find a job, through vocational training in sewing, shoemaking, livestock farming, weaving, painting and decorating, welding, screen printing, bricklaying, hairdressing and more.

In Lakaza’s case, part of the training costs were covered by HI. When, in 2024, after two years of training, she obtained her diploma, HI provided her with the equipment needed to open her own salon: a mirror, chairs, shampoo basins, hairdryer, washbasins, hair extensions, combs, etc.

“With the money I earn from hairdressing and braiding, I look after myself and my daughter and I can support my mother. The next step will be to buy a motorbike to make getting around easier. I’m also thinking about expanding the salon; I’d like to add more equipment and offer new products,” says Lakaza.

Finding her place

When she was little, Lakaza had to face prejudice from members of her community, sometimes even from her own mother. But since she completed her training and opened her salon, she has become well-integrated and found her place in society.

“Before, people saw her as useless, incapable of contributing anything. Now she works very well; she even has clients who come from far away to have their hair done. When I see what she has become, I want to encourage parents who have children with disabilities to look after them and support them so that they can fulfill their potential in the future,” says Agba happily.

For eight years, HI’s inclusive education project has brought together associations, civil society, and education authorities to support children excluded from the school system in Senegal, Togo and Madagascar. It has led to the introduction of school support workers, itinerant teachers, and integrated bridging classes. More than 10,000 people have benefited from this program, nearly half of whom are girls. The project has fostered the socialization and independence of young people, helped those around them to better understand their disabilities, and also strengthened teachers’ capacities while adapting training structures and tools.