Beauty and the best chance

MANILA, Philippines — We can all agree that it takes a lot to make a dream come true. Sure, talent and skill make up a chunk of it, but sometimes, the right opportunity really needs to come along. And in a place like the Philippines, such opportunities are hard to come by. But for aspiring beauticians, the L’Oréal Foundation’s Beauty For A Better Life Program can make such dreams a reality.

Now in its second year, Beauty For A Better Life is one of the foundation’s many programs to help underprivileged women regain their dignity, humanity and femininity by offering them intensive lessons on various hairdressing skills (blow-drying, hair coloring, haircutting, and applying hair treatments). After 12 weeks of classroom training, all students undergo a weeklong internship in various L’Oréal partner salons to expose them to actual hairdressing jobs and give them a chance to further their career options.

Just last month, another batch of beneficiaries graduated from the program, and will hopefully move on to being employed partner salons or providing home services to clients. It is the program’s ultimate goal to break social barriers and allow for a more inclusive society, especially for Filipino women.

“The most significant change that we see is that they’ve been given a real chance at self-respect, dignity and motivation,” shares Carmel Valencia, L’Oréal Philippines corporate communications manager. “This is not something money can buy or something you can compare with anything else, and for us that is the most priceless thing that something like Beauty For A Better Life can really provide.”