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Education for Life

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WHY WE HELP

Intercoiffure brings together the best hairdressers in the world and places the highest demands on the professional and human quality of its members. This demand gave rise to the idea that the association must also be socially involved in order to help people who are not on the sunny side of life. We laid the foundation for this in Paris in 2004 with the founding of the “Education for Life” aid program. With our philosophy: “We see it as our duty to encourage young people and give them prospects. The most important thing we can give is qualified training.” we not only give young people hope, but above all a future. This was also the hour of birth of the first aid project, the first training school “Casa Do Menor” – survival aid and a way out for young people from the slums of Rio de Janeiro. A short time later, “Intercoiffure Charity Deutschland e.V.” was founded in Germany under the leadership of Jens Dagné to support these projects. As President of Education for Life, Jens Dagné coordinates the worldwide activities together with Vice President Dan Studer and the Intercoiffure Charity delegates (Ambassadors) of the individual countries. The aim is to carry out school projects for the hairdressing trade in as many countries as possible.

Jens Dagné

President of Education for Life, Präsident Intercoiffure Charity Deutschland e.V., Member of Central Committee Intercoiffure Mondial Paris, Päsident Charity Golfclub Play for Life

Dan Studer

Vice President and Treasurer of Education for Life, President Intercoiffure Luxembourg, Treasurer Intercoiffure Europe Region, Board Member of Intercoiffure Mond SA

WHERE WE HELP

In the meantime, there are several training projects worldwide in which young people receive qualified training and thus a future. Children and young people from the slums and crisis areas of this world, threatened by hunger, violence, crime, drugs or war. A large number of the young people who completed their training in one of these school projects were subsequently placed in a hairdressing salon. Education for Life also provided immediate help in the event of natural disasters, in order to help the children on the spot – quickly, directly and in a controlled manner, via the worldwide network of friends of Intercoiffure.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”, Lao Tzu. True to this guiding principle of Education for Life and Intercoiffure Charity Deutschland e.V., we concentrate on sustainable help – on the foundations for a self-determined life. To this end, we partly use the facilities of the foundation “Kinderzukunft e.V.”, which is friendly to us and which already runs children’s homes for street children or war orphans in many countries and also offers training courses there. Here we integrate and finance the training courses offered by “Education for Life” into the existing structure.

SCHOOL-PROJECT IN JUIZ DE FORA (BRAZIL)

Education for Life’s newest school project is located 185 KM north/west of Rio de Janeiro inland.

The Presbyterian Church of Juiz de Fora made the space available to us free of charge, in which the Education for Life “Juiz de Fora” could be brought to life. In addition, Pastor Henrique supports us, and thus our Education for Life – Ambassador for Brazil Adauto Paschoal, with energy and water supply, as well as cleaning the rooms! In addition, the local pastor of Juiz de Fora “Paulo” helps us to recruit students from the community for Education for Life! But not only local children can be given a future through training in the hairdressing trade.

CASA DO MENOR (BRAZIL)

In 2004, “Education for Life” introduced its pilot project in Brazil, in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. “Casa Do Menor” is located in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Every year around 200 young people are trained in the basics of hairdressing. The aim: offer teenagers a professional perspective, in order for them to earn a living for themselves – free from criminality and drugs. “Casa Do Menor” is a great chance – in the past years around 80% of the trainees have found a job.

FORTALEZA (BRAZIL)

Learn to live. Education for the future. Fortaleza is a shelter in northern Brazil for abused and vulnerable children. They are street children with no family and no social ties. Drugs and prostitution are part of the children’s every day life. The “Education for Life“ relief program in Fortaleza supports teenagers aged between 16 and 21. In the training centre, the apprentices become young professional hairdressers.

Instituto ABIHPEC (BRAZIL)

3 schools were approved and benefited for the period 2017 to 2018:
Casa do Menor São Miguel Arcanjo
lnstituto Profissionalizante Mangueira
Tesourinha Project
The entity support contract lasts 1 year
In August 2018 the entity selection process starts again

INSTITUTO ABIHPEC was founded on the initiative of the Brazilian Association of the Personal Care, Perfumery and Cosmetics Industry (ABIHPEC) with the aim of transferring all its social responsibility projects to an independent and not-for-profit organization.
INTERCOIFFURE BRASIL, represents INTERCOIFFURE MONDIAL in Brazil. A global organization and association of the best and most experienced beauty professionals in the world, who want to preserve and share their knowledge and moral values, promote all areas of the beauty sector and provide a future for young people through education. INTERCOIFFURE BRASIL is developing the Education For Life project, a worldwide funded program for the “free” education of beauty professionals among young people living in “social risk” with the aim of creating opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment.
Both INSTITUTO ABIHPEC and INTERCOIFFURE BRASIL have no interest or purpose to obtain profits or receive any payment or remuneration in the organization and development of the stated objectives / projects. They only correspond to voluntary and “free” initiatives. This applies both to the parties mentioned here and to their volunteers or employees.

TESOURINHA (BRAZIL)

In 1992, Ivan Stringhi, launched the Tesourinha project, a non-profi t making civil association providing free haircuts in a slum quarter of Sao Paulo (Brazil). This project focuses on the training of young people in the hairdressing, health, education and environment fi elds. Gradually, the investment of the private sector made it possible to propose new activities in the beauty domain (manicure, pedicure, make-up & depilation) and also courses in other parts of Sao Paulo. The hairdressing course is now completed after 332 hours of training. The training of the youngsters in these various activities includes the contribution of professionals who do lectures and teach the kids notions of citizenship, environment, relaxation, sexuality, family life, and drug prevention. The Tesourinha project also includes cultural activities, participation in events related to the beauty fi eld, free access to these events and invitation of the impoverished people, the involvement of pupils and teachers, demonstrations and workshops with professionals and companies from the beauty area. Thanks to this project, more than 17,000 pupils already joined the work market and there are now 38 teachers involved in the project!

SELO MIRA (BOSNIA)

The “Kinderzukunft” project in Selo Mira, Turija, Bosnia is supported fi nancially by “Education for Life”, among others. The hairdressing salon has been entirely furnished and equipped. The foundation develops and consolidates the training here, in the region. It works on a contractual basis with the professional training centres and reimburses trainees their travel expenses to the centre. Each trainee must sign an agreement requiring him to attend the training and the courses in the centre. The young people in Selo Mira are keen on learning and very motivated. However, there is no training system in Bosnia that can encourage and guide them. In cooperation with the Lukavac training centre, 40 apprentices are trained permanently. The courses are organized on a weekly basis, for each group. The chances of getting a job once the training has been completed are of approximately 50 per cent. Well-being and customer-oriented work are foreign words. Progress is when we are fast; quality remains a vague concept. There have been training centres for a little over 5 years but the basis for training is still very sketchy. In addition to material supply, the hairdressing sector here needs massive support in terms of training the instructors. During a conversation with one of the instructors, she said to me: “Before the war, I didn’t even know there was a difference between Muslims and christians. We lived together and nobody cared about the other’s religion. But after the war … ”.

TIMISOARA (ROMANIA)

Commitment to charity in Romania. In 2006, a second training centre was opened and equipped in Timisoara, in collaboration with the “Kinderzukunft” foundation. Street children and teenagers from socially vulnerable families can be trained in hairdressing through a six-month course – 16 places are provided every year. The trainees take an exam recognized by the state and get a certificate, the best condition for a job position.

CAPE TOWN (SOUTH AFRICA)

Our training class is an institution funded by Intercoiffure South Africa and industry partners, under the umbrella of the English charity organization “christel House”, where currently around 963 pupils of 12 different age groups are being cared of and instructed.

The teenagers in our Education for Life project are taught 2-3 hours three times per week and in addition many Intercoiffure friends support this project with their own training missions. We will further develop the training in order to obtain a state-approved diploma. Our Intercoiffure initiators on site: Jean, Ezra and Rolf are committed to the organisation and the education. In addition, they tirelessly help collecting donations.

MONTEVIDEO (URUGUAY)

„Escuela de Peluquería ALAS“ school was inaugurated in 2007. Destined to boys and girls over 17, the school intends to give the necessary tools to the learners to integrate the work life. It started recruiting its learners in the poorest parts of Uruguay. Scholarships have been created for more advanced and specialized trainings. 2 main ateliers compose the program. The first atelier trains specialists of blow-dry, hair washing and manicure. The second atelier brings the knowledge to search a job, informs about the rights of the workers, the possible evolutions in work life, and trains the candidates for future interviews. A real follow-up is established to accompany the candidates in their first work experience.

28.11.2013 marks the launch of “Estudio Paolino” in Montevideo, Uruguay. Under the direction of the Intercoiffure Uruguay President, “Education for Life Uruguay” was founded, together with a new education project. The project could be realized thanks to the commitment of our friends in Uruguay, the financial start-up support and additional donations, like for example hairdressing tools from Switzerland. Currently, ten training positions can be provided. Employed teachers and Intercoiffure friends continuously instruct the young people.

KIEV (UKRAINE) ODESSA

Nine Education for Life projects in Ukraine: In Kiev, the capital and largest city of Ukraine, a broad Education for Life training project integrated into the Specialized School of Technology and design ( Kiev, 22, Yuri Gagarin Blvd.) opened in September 2015. A little later, in November 2015, the 2nd Education for Life school project was opened 500 km south of the Black Sea in Odessa, also under the leadership of Intercoiffure Ukraine. Here, too, it is integrated into the Specialised school of technology and design.

In the meantime, it has been found that it is more efficient to train the disadvantaged children directly and in small groups (in 9 Education for Life salon projects) in Kiev and Odessa – with members of Intercoiffure Ukraine – directly. Between 15 and 20 teenagers who have no parents anymore and would not have a chance on the domestic job market without an education are continuously getting one stares into a better and self-determined life!

THE EDUCATION FOR LIFE – INDIA Project

The children/students we educate at Dr. Kochhar’s academy as part of the Education For Life initiative come from economically poor backgrounds. Some of them are children of single parents, others are school dropouts who need financial support for vocational training because they cannot afford it. In this academy, the owner Dr. Blossom Kochhar and the Education for Life Ambassador of India, Miss Samantha Kochhar, work for the students at no cost to the children/students. Our AmbassadorsSamhantha and Blossom also pay for the tools and equipment when some of them cannot afford the tools.

We are happy to see that in this wonderful cooperation the school project in New Delhi (India) is on a very good way! Currently, children affected by acid attacks as well as cancer survivors are being trained there. This is in addition to the regular education of the other students for the Education for Life project.
In India, the training is not limited to hairdressing, but since 2023 beauty and make-up training, to give the children a better chance of to give them a better chance to earn a living.

Education for Life – Cambodia Project

This collaboration with Ermine, Princess of Cambodia, was created on the initiative of Intercoiffure Switzerland. Princess Ermine Norodom is the founder and director of Shanty Town Spirit and is very pleased about the partnership with Education for Life. Our support enables the training of a group of 6 disadvantaged teenagers and young adults as part of the Arya Vong Kim Hair Professional Beauty Academy in Phnom Penh. Here too, we give hope and a future for a self-determined life, including training in the hairdressing and cosmetics industry. The participants are carefully selected by well-known associations and non-governmental organizations based on need and opportunities.

Princess Ermine Norodom, the founder of Shanty Town Spirit, personally assures that Intercoiffure’s funds will be used expressly for the benefit of the students and their education, and that this money will not be used for any other purpose. The vision of Shanty Town Spirit is: One Mind, One Heart, One Community. Supporting the empowerment and self-sufficiency of families living in impoverished communities to improve their quality of life. Shanty Town Spirit sincerely thanks Education for Life and Intercoiffure Switzerland for their generosity and charity, which is passed on from the heart.

The successes confirm our concept

Provide education to the best is what we can give, what is reaffirmed time and time again and what is reflected in many individual achievements. Two examples from South Africa: Abbigail Waylin and Noorun-Nisaa Dela-Cruz. They came from the poorest backgrounds; Abbigail lost her father at the age of 15 months and Noorun lived alone with her brother and mother. They attended school in “Christel House” and from 2012, the “Education for Life” training course in hairdressing. Both were highly motivated and happy about their training opportunity. What seemed fun at the beginning quickly became a passion and it showed in their achievements – they had found a job. Two years later: Noorun-Nisaa works in the Salon “Avalon Hair Design”, near Ottery and her employer is very pleased with her professional development. Abbigail has found her position in the renowned Salon “Carlton International Cape Town” with its own training school. In the meantime, she is the assistant of the salon manager and continues to improve her professionalism.

Here are two not unusual professional paths: from the Education for Life school to a job, to a salary and to a better life.

HOW WE HELP

Getting involved in charity projects means first and foremost collecting donations, knocking on many doors and motivating people, companies and businesses to help again and again. It doesn’t matter how much someone can donate, because every contribution is guaranteed to benefit our charity work without any deductions or administrative costs through the worldwide network of friendship of the Intercoiffure. Here, however, in addition to the ongoing motivation, it is important to constantly develop new ideas and create incentives to get involved. Regular collections within the framework of events, events organised by individual members which are used for fundraising or the international “Education for Life Day”, on which our Intercoiffure friends donate a part of their income on this day to the aid projects, are some of the ideas. For the same reason, the initiators Jens Dagné, Ludwig Janz and Klaus Bertisch founded the first Charity Golf Club (Play for Life e.V.) in Germany years ago, where a part of the membership fees goes to the Charity Association. In addition, with the support of sponsors from industry and long-standing friends from the business world, they organise the Charity Golf-Cup, which regularly generates the lion’s share of the annual donations. Ideas that deserve to be “copied” worldwide. The proceeds from donations go to recognized aid projects all over the world.

DONATE YOUR HAIR

AMBASSADORS

Andreas Innfeld

Austria
Innsbruck
E-Mail

Jas Jhally

Australia
Subiaco
E-Mail

June Wilde

Australia
Perth
E-Mail

Wendy Young

Australia
Sydney
E-Mail

Alison Matthews

Australia
Griffith
E-Mail

Adauto Pascoal

Brazil
Juiz de Fora
E-Mail

Carolina Fernandez

Chile
Santiago de Chile
E-Mail

Dan Bro

Denmark
Copenhagen
E-Mail

Gitte Olsen Mathiesen

Denmark
Svendborg
E-Mail

Helle Baumann Jensen

Denmark
Svendborg
E-Mail

Mette Stanley

Denmark
Charlottenlund
E-Mail

Ralph-Joachim Hoffmann

Bosnien, Germany
Heilbronn
E-Mail

Samantha Kochhar

India
New Delhi
E-Mail

Hiroyuki Obayashi

Japan
Nagoya
E-Mail

Danielle Studer

Luxembourg
Roeser
E-Mail

Cristina Ciuca

Romania
Bucharest
E-Mail

Ezra Isaacs

South Africa
Cape Town
E-Mail

Rolf Losken

South Africa
Cape Town
E-Mail

Ignacio Romero

Spain
Saragossa
E-Mail

Luis Romero Colas

Spain
Saragossa
E-Mail

Gunilla Olsson

Sweden
Uppsala
E-Mail

Cornelia Fabbricatore

Switzerland
Wohlen
E-Mail

Natasha Balabanova

Ukraine
Kiev
E-Mail

Irina Kasparyan

Ukraine
Odessa
E-Mail

Miriam Kirichenko

Uruguay
Montevideo
E-Mail

CONTACT US

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We will respond to your request or feedback as soon as possible. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.

Gartenstrasse 4, CH-6301 Zug – SWISS

+33 1 56 43 22 22

office@education-for-life.com

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