Barber Offers Free Haircut to Outstanding Students

Gilbert Kapito Lilongwe based barber Gilbert Kapito Lilongwe based barber

A Lilongwe based barber has taken his haircutting business to a whole new level offering free service to outstanding school pupils.

Gilbert Kapito says he is doing this realizing the many challenges most learners in his community face and wants to, nonetheless, encourage them to do well in class but also have brighter future.

Boys who score positions one to five and girls who score positions one to ten get the free service upon production of a school report and parental escort.

“I was once sent back from school during my school days for not shaving my hair. I had no money for a barbershop. It took a well-wisher to pay for me to have my hair cut and go back to school.

“After school, I ventured into photography and later I opened this barbershop. I told myself I should use the barbershop to pay back to those who helped me and promote students by shaving them for free if they pass well in class,” said Kapito.

Kapito sent out a message about the free haircut services to schools around his community.

He also wrote on the wall of his barbershop, informing people about the free service for boys who score position 1 to five and girls who score positions 1 to 10 at the end of the term.

“Ana a Sukulu Kumeta ndi Ulere. Position 1 – 5 boys, position 1 – 10 girls (Free hair cut for students. Position 1 to 5 for boys and position 1 to for girls)” read the message on the wall.

Kapito said he increased the number of girls than boys to encourage more girls to work hard in class because societies most of the times they are vulnerable in societies.

And not only has the development excited learners to do better, Parents too are breathing a sigh of relief. A hair cut in the area costs K500 on average.

“I just want to encourage Mr. Kapito to continue doing what he is doing. It happens sometimes that a child needs to have his hair cut but we do not have money. If he passes well, he just go to the barbershop for free. That is a relief to us,” said one of the mothers to the students who are offered the service.

Patricia Mekani, the mother to Priscila, said the initiative might look small but is helping her kid to work hard in class to get a free haircut.

“We have noticed a hard-working spirit in our child. She used to play too much when she gets back home from school but now she is different. She tells us she wants to keep having a free haircut,” she said.

Priscila Mekani, a seven-year-old Standard 3 learner at Mvama Primary School, told Zodiak Online that she wants to become a doctor in the future. She said she will continue working hard.

“I was passing by the barbershop one day with my mum as we were coming from the market. She showed me where it was written that the barbershop offers free service to students who pass well. I scored position 4 and I get the free haircut,” she said.

Mvama Primary School headteacher, Cecelia Chisambo, says as little as a free haircut may be, there are thousands of learners who just cannot afford a haircut. She believes the country needs more people like Kapito.

“This man has used the little resources he has to promote child education in the area. This initiative has brought competition among pupils. If we have more people like in our communities, more learners would have been doing well,” she said.

For Kapito, this is just a foundation of his dream to help more young people do better with their education.

“Honestly, I don’t make profits from the barbershop because electricity tariff is too expensive. I earn my living mostly through photography and the small grocery that I have, but I have dedicated this barbershop to help the students.

“Should God bless in future, my dream is to help more students through other initiatives. I see many students on the road to town struggling to get lifts to schools. Some offer them the lifts but others don’t. It pains me.
 
“If I get more resources from my business, I will buy a minibus to ferry such students who pass well in class to and fro school,” he said.

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Last modified on Friday, 29/11/2019

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