September
2010
KABUL
BEAUTY SCHOOL
By Deborah Rodriguez
Soon after the fall of the Taliban in 2001,
Deborah Rodriguez went to Afghanistan as part of a group offering humanitarian
aid. She soon found she had a gift
for befriending Afghans, and once it became known that she was a hairdresser she
was eagerly sought out by Westerners desperate for a good haircut and by Afghan
women, who have a long and proud tradition of running their own beauty salons.
Thus an idea was born.
Within
the small haven of the newly created beauty school, the line between teacher and
student quickly blurred as these vibrant women shared with Rodriguez their
stories and their hearts: the newlywed who faked her virginity on her wedding
night, the twelve-year-old bride sold into marriage to pay her family’s debts,
the Taliban member’s wife who pursued her training despite her husband’s
constant beatings.
Rodriguez's
are Western eyes, and it is easy to imagine an Afghan woman being offended by
some details she divulges, but underneath the culture clash is genuine care,
respect, and juicy storytelling.