Skuurpot: My hair experience with Neo Monare

The world is such an amazing place. In it, you have the opportunity to meet a variety of diverse people. I first met Neo on Facebook in 2013. She had won an online competition I ran at that time. As busy schedules would have it, I was unable to interact with Neo after the competition. We recently connected about a month ago when she offered to do my hair. You can imagine how delighted I was to find out that she was in the hair business. I am fascinated with all things hair so I grabbed the opportunity with all my locs. She hooked me up with a fabulous hairstyle which was perfect for me because it meant that I could style it however I wanted to. I am not a fan of a hairstyle that makes me look the same day in and day out, so this was perfect. Let me share some of the hairdos I have been able to pull off with just the hairstyle she gifted me with

While she was doing my hair, I got to know her a little better and I was moved by an initiative that she has started. I guess it is true that we can make a difference in many ways. I could not keep all of this to myself and hence I am sharing it with you. Below is a brief interview I had with Neo about hair and the initiative that she is involved in. Enjoy!

Me: What does hair mean to you?
Neo: Hair is the crown of each every individual,it simply means God didn't make a mistake giving us this beautiful crown.

Me: When did you decide to lock your hair?
Neo: I had a very huge afro when I fell pregnant. When I gave birth I didn't have time for it then it locked on its own and I decided to keep the look.

Me: Did you ever want to give up and relax your hair?
Neo: The last time I relaxed my hair was 20 years ago. My mom would try to make it straight then after a day or so I'd look like not even a trace of relaxer touched my hair. That's how 'stubborn' my hair was (then my mom gave up eventually); I am glad she did. It's 20 years this year wearing natural hair (I am 32).

Me: . Do you have any opinion on natural hair vs relaxed hair?
Neo: I really don't like the topic on that because at the end of the day it all boils down to different strokes for different folks. With that said, I do however  give tips when necessary. This has always been a controversial topic.

Me: When did you know that hair was something you would be involved with in your career?
Neo: My mom used to plait people around my hood. The passion she had was amazing. The accuracy of the lines she made was inspiring. She was so passionate that she didn't mind undoing the hair if it was not up to  satisfaction. That is when I started plaiting my friends.  I started to charge when I was 9 years old. I was so busy that my mom didn't have to give me pocket money anymore.

Me: Tell me more about your business?
Neo: I knew this hair business was meant to be when I got my first job at a fast food store. I hated being ordered around abut I had to survive through it because then I had responsibilities (my daughter).  I struggled to find a proper salon to take care of my hair the way I wanted. I am a tomboy so those 'formal' do's didn't do me justice lol. This is how I decided to style my locks and noticed people liked them a lot,especially customers from work. I would give my numbers out when I go to lunch. I'd find 12-15 different phone numbers booking appointments so I decided if I can make R1000-R1200 a day with hair then why the heck am I still working for R150 a day.

Me: You have a great initiative happening on Mondays, please tell me more about it?
Neo: My mum fetched me every day from primary school with a brush for touch ups here and there and I noticed that she would see other girls with  'untidy hair'.  She would call and brush them as well lol. So it ended up being an everyday thing. Girls would literally queue for a hairbrush everyday after school until  she ended up taking those who couldn't afford a plait to be beautiful like the rest without paying. This used to inspire me a lot.  I understood what it felt like not to afford something. I could only imagine how the girls must have felt not being able to afford a decent hairstyle. It can impact on your self esteem I believe. So every Monday I take bookings of those who cannot afford to pay for a hairstyle and I do their hair at no cost to them. This is a way for me to give back with the craft that I have been blessed with.

Neo Rocking it

Me: Why do you do this initiative when you could have a working productive day on Monday?
Neo: Two hours of giving back is thanking God for the gift he gave me. The fulfilment of being able to add to someone's beauty is priceless

Neo and I after she hooked me up

Thank you Neo for your kind heart.

If you know anyone who would benefit from this initiative (preferably in Gauteng/Soweto) then follow me on @malebosays (twitter and instagram) and get in touch with me for details.