HAIR
Atta Jessica Aimee & Remi Lynx
Jessica has been Nash’s hairdresser for years. Today she’s going to braid her name on the back of her hair - N-A-S-H. While she works we gossip about women in Abidjan. Nash is 27 years old and still has no children, which very rare in Africa. “Why would I have one, I don’t wanna have a baby and be left to care for him alone with no man”. Jessica nods her head in agreement.
A little girl runs into the yard and jumps on Jessica. Remy is Jessica’s daughter, and Jessica tells me how she was in love when she fell pregnant and happy about the baby. But the father just turned away, saying he was too young. It frustrates Jessica that he still lives locally but makes no effort to see his daughter.
In Abidjan abortions are illegal and although they are performed, most women don’t believe in abortion as an option. Jessica is lucky, her own father told her he that he was happy about becoming a grandfather and allowed Jessica to stay at the family home. Jessica’s mother tells us that Remy is the light of the family: “look” she says “if Jessica had had an abortion, this light would not be here today”.
Maria, abidjan day care
Priss-K takes us for a day in Trashvielle, a colorful and crowded local market. We follow her into a hair saloon where Marie greets us with a sweet smile before getting to work. It’s work that takes patience and skill: Marie braids the hair real tight around Priss’s skull before sewing in some fake hair. Once she is done Priss-K goes to the hairdresser to get it all cut into shape.
The girls chat and laugh while they are busy. Some run out to pray in the front yard at regular intervals as it is still Ramadan. A little boy runs around trying to get Marie’s attention. She puts her son to sleep in the corner and smiles: “day care….”
Laisha
Laisha is standing on the street just in front of the door to her house doing a girls hair. It’s an African thing. Some do it to make a little bit of money; some just hang out and chat while weaving that hair in. You see any number of different colors and styles - women in Africa are obsessed with hair, hair, hair.