Born in exile during the liberation struggle in Lubango, Angola Emma, turned her passion for hair into a parlor. Emma and her family moved to Namibia just after independence and settled in Windhoek, where she grew up attending different primary schools.
“I was very girly and my passion for hair started back then. While playing with my dolls I would braid their hair, I had my firstclient when I was in Grade 6 and I charged her fifty dollars to braid her hair pushback.” Emma started her education at Mandume Primary School for the first grade and then moved to the Peoples Primary School for her second and third grades before switching to MH Greef Primary School for her fourth and fifth grade finishing her primary education at Moses//Garoëb Primary School. She then enrolled at the Centaurus High School where she finished her secondary education.
“At Centaurus my favourite subject was English because my teacher went an extra mile. I played hockey and captained the team and after school I would go back on my part job, which was braiding hair.” Right after Emma completed her Grade 12 in 2007, her father was posted to the United States of America in New York and moved with the family.
The family settled in Queens and Emma started learning the new culture. She improved her grades through a GDA programme (USA equivalent of the Namibian Grade 12) and enrolled at The School of Cooperative Training in 2009 and completed a one year course.
“I always knew what I wanted to do, which was to be a hair dresser but did not know if my dad would pay for it, so after completing my GDA , I talked to him about it and he approved and I enrolled at a cosmetology school where I did natural hair styling .”
Emma got an internship at Salon Cecilia where she put her newly found knowledge on trial and mastered all her training. Salon Cecilia is an upmarket trendy salon with a large cliental of prominent black females and she worked there till she moved back to Namibia in October 2012. Back in the Land of the Brave Emma found employment at Ndiliana Salon where she put her experience to practice for eight months. She always wanted to own her own salon and when the time was right she took the leap of faith. In her quest Emma ventured into a business opportunity with two local businesspeople and towards the end of this July opened her own parlour called Emma’s Beauty Parlour close to town. “From working on a commission basis I worked myself up to renting a chair, and in the process grew my own clientele. Things went well but I had my own dreams and parted with Ndiliana’s on a good note. The doors opened up for me and I took the risk.”
Emma’s Beauty Parlour offers nail and hair treatment and also offer massages. It currently employs seven ladies and one barber to attend to her clients’ needs. Still a very young company, Emma’s Beauty Parlour is still growing but specialises in different services taking pride in offering a best service with a smile. “At Emma’s we are all still young. I train my girls and when I am comfortable with their work I recommend some of my private clients to try them out.
The working environment is very light but result orientated and we are like family.” Emma leaves the youth with these words, ‘Today’s youth are lazy as they want jobs but do not want to work for their bread. We are still very scared to go out there and take risk but the thing is you, will never know until you have tried.
We keep delaying and there is always someone to blame but sometimes all it takes is to stand up to the challenge. I always say that is now while we are young that we can gamble or take risks and that we will never know until you try.”
By Kevin Kamati