Hair Chronicles in Lesotho Pt. 1

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My very first question as a volunteer wasn’t about teaching or safety, it was, “What am I supposed to do with my hair?”

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I flipped between the following options when preparing to come to Lesotho. I thought

about shaving my head, locking my hair like my parents or getting braids and shaving my head when they started to look ratty.

Instead I went for the unnamed option 4. The “unwillingly getting my hair redone” route.

and now you’re probably like, “Kamrin, what does unwillingly getting your hair done mean?” Great question, thank you.

Let’s talk about getting my hair done in Lesotho for the first time.

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The day before I left for the Peace Corps, I sat in my room, exhausted from packing for a life I had no idea what it would entail, and feeling overwhelmed. My hair wasn't done, and I had no idea what my options would be once I got in country (Lesotho), so I made a same-day appointment and got my hair twisted.

My hair was relaxed and turned out to be not too compatible with the Afro twist hair.

Considering I haven’t had relaxed hair since I was 13, I absolutely didn't think the hair might not blend. By month 1 in the country, my host family was insistent that I get my hair redone.

No matter how many times I told them no, I would be shaving my head, the insistence continued.

For some reason, they considered my shaving my head to be a blow to what they had become known for in the village. My host family, according to them, had become known for having a beautiful host daughter, and having unblended twists really put a damper on their street cred.

So alas, keeping my hair was a hard no and going bald was a harder no (even though they’re all bald).

That Tuesday, I came home from school and was informed that I would be getting my hair done that weekend, and all arrangements had been made. I finally conceded, out of need for relief, and agreed to get my hair done if I could get French-curl knotless braids.

That Saturday night, I took my hair down and went to bed, not sure of what was to come.

The next morning, I was taken to a “salon” in the village, a lovely woman’s home that happened to have electricity, where she washed, conditioned, and blow-dried my hair straight before oiling my scalp for M30.00, (about $2).

It was a good experience, considering I was in a village and not in the capital, which has the same type of salons we have in the States.

So, where do you get braiding hair? Or hair pieces, as it is called in Lesotho.

Cosmetic Connections is the dollar mania of Lesotho. Super Hair Store!! I haven’t felt as normal as I did when I walked into that store. I had finally got my hands on edge control, scalp oil, and the French-curl-braiding hair I needed, M457.00, or about $27.

The nice lady who braided my hair came to me. Village life differs from that in the inner city of Lesotho, so house visits can be common if arranged! I came home Tuesday at 5 pm, my hair was done a little before 9 pm. And it looks great!

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The key takeaway is that the same options are available in Lesotho for cheaper! For future volunteers, the advice is simple: rely on the community members you’ve made connections with, and you won’t be steered wrong.

I would have never known that there was a “salon” in my village or that a braider lived close by. Even though I was hesitant and an unwilling participant in the beginning, my family orchestrated everything well. Now I feel more comfortable knowing I have hair options and access to familiar products.

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As of now, I have visited the site that will be my permanent location for the next two years, and my hair solution may change. My new village is genuinely off the beaten path, and I may have to become a connoisseur of my own hair. Once I am here permanently in December, I will update on what hair care looks like for me with my new circumstances.

Khotso,

Kene Moshe, Kamrin Hooks

My beautiful hair - I’m smiling on the inside !!