Help Orphans Shine: Donate for Back-to-School Braids

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” - Eleanor Roosevelt. My name is Flavia Etoundi, and this summer, I made my dreams of helping orphans become a reality by creating Flavia’s Troves Orphans Academy, an organization that empowers orphans through collaboration and support.

I am fundraising for AT LEAST 5 orphans (boys and girls) ages 4 to 15 to get their hair braided for free as part of a back-to-school initiative this year. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 3.2 million of the 74 million U.S. children (ages 0-17) have lost one or both parents. Flavia’s Troves Orphans Academy is partnering with The Braiding Palace in Glen Burnie, Md, a state-of-the-art hair salon, to provide the hair services. Your support will help cover the cost for the select child’s hair to be washed, conditioned and styled.

You might be wondering, “Why hair? Why braids?” A great hairstyle has the power to transform a person’s appearance and has been shown to significantly boost self-esteem and social interactions. The better children feel about themselves, the greater the chances are for them to excel academically, athletically and relationally. Braids are versatile, stylish and durable, enabling one to dedicate more time to studying rather than worrying about styling the hair every morning before school.

In fact, braids have a deeper significance in my life in connection to school. I was born in a loving home but unfortunately lost my father at age 7 and my mother at age 12. However, one of my most cherished memories are of my father driving/walking me to school and my mother taking me to the hair salon so I could get my hair braided right before the first day of school, which was one of my favorite days of the year. On that day, I felt confident, beautiful and exuberant. In contrast, after my mother’s passing, I struggled greatly with managing my hair, which negatively affected my self-esteem as a teenager.

Nevertheless, with the support of God and other generous people in our community, as well as a resolve to not let my circumstances define me, through education I have become a contributing citizen by helping those who suffer from mental illness. To any parent reading this, please make sure to make beautiful memories with your children because “memories are special moments that tell our story.” (author unknown). Memories outlive us. To everyone reading this, I invite you to join in this endeavor with whatever you can afford. Updates will be posted on the number of children we impacted this school year. Please donate to this fundraiser and share it to reach a wider audience. Thank you :)

If you would like to nominate an orphan to enter our prize draw to win a free hair braiding service, please click the link and fill out the short questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScygJYxchYUqmTHBo42RWj9pSpE866GK2KP0oJXkcYiMjjqjA/viewform?usp=sharing