Darfur’s Hairdressers Rally for the Environment

Hairdressers in North Darfur not only have formed a union to help raise standards of health and hygiene in salons across Darfur, but also have created an association to encourage environmentally friendly business practices.

By Emadeldin Rijal

Each day, on a bustling street in the largest market area in El Fasher, North Darfur, a beauty salon named Titanic fills with regular patrons, who sometimes must wait in long queues to be seen by one of the salon’s busy hairdressers. Mr. Al-Mardi Nooreldin, the salon’s owner, says the reason for his salon’s popularity is because of the standards of hygiene and care maintained by his staff. “We ensure that any aspect that affects the grooming process and the general wellbeing of every visitor is taken into consideration,” he says.

This focus on customer welfare, says Mr. Nooreldin, involves careful attention to details such as hygiene, sterilization and the use of protective clothing. Titanic’s owner points out that his hairdressers follow international standards in preventing exposure to infections, with special attention paid to the disposal of used materials and sharp objects. He says this approach is designed to create an appealing, sanitary and aesthetic environment in which his patrons can enjoy the benefits of world-class grooming.

Mr. Nooreldin explains that his focus on health and hygiene issues and his incorporation of internationally recognized practices inspired him to create what has come to be known as the North Darfur Hairdressers Union. This union, says Mr. Nooreldin, is the first of its kind in Darfur. It is designed not only to bring together hairdressers to rekindle interest in the profession and the art of styling hair, but also to encourage high standards and best practices in salon operations.

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On 29 April 2014, Mr. Al-Mardi Nooreldin cuts a client’s hair in his salon in El Fasher, North Darfur. Mr. Nooreldin, in addition to being a popular hairdresser, is the founder of the North Darfur Hairdressers Union and the Environmental Friends Association. Photo by Hamid Abdulsalam, UNAMID.