By Patricia Esteves
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 [ philstar.com ]
Beneficiaries of a Gawad Kalinga housing project in the slums of Deparo, Caloocan are also getting a shot at a better future.
Thanks to Reyes Haircutters’ president Les Reyes, who will not only give them homes, but also livelihood.
Aside from donating 42 homes, Reyes Haircutters will build a salon training center for residents who will be taught hair cutting and styling, body and foot massage, pedicure and salon management, among others.
Reyes said this is the fulfillment of his dream to give back to the community and give the poor a chance for a better life.
“My success is seeing people, especially the poor, improve their lives. I know the Lord gave me so much blessings so I can pass it on to other people,” Reyes said at the turnover of the initial homes to the beneficiaries last Saturday.
Reyes said everyone is welcome at the training center: women, youth, gays – anyone who wants to learn how to cut hair for a living.
He said there is no tuition for the training, and after they finish the course, they will be employed in any of the Reyes Haircutters salons.
For their housing tie-up with GK, the company launched several fund-raising projects to initially build 42 homes.
An ongoing project is the “Gupit Ko, Bahay Mo,” where P1 from every P50 haircut fee will go to the construction of GK Homes in Deparo.
They also held dance fests for a cause and involved the franchisers of Reyes Haircutters in their project for GK.
“We want to sustain our projects for GK and the residents of Deparo. We will be holding more fund raising projects in the future,” Reyes said, adding that he was overwhelmed by the support of franchisees who trooped to Deparo to cut the hair of the residents for free.
He said he is one with GK in its vision to uplift the lives of the poor.
“I learned about GK through Go Negosyo proponent Joey Concepcion who has also built villages and livelihood centers for the poor. It’s a noteworthy project and the holistic concept appealed to me. We want to donate more homes to GK in the future,” said Reyes.
Aside from the homes and livelihood, Reyes said he would like to see children of the beneficiaries get better education, healthcare, and good nutrition.
Humble beginnings
People have asked Reyes why he chose to do these things for the poor when he could just sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Eight years after he established Reyes Haircutters, the salon company has grown by leaps and bounds and now has 200 branches nationwide, plus a salon in London.
But reaching out to the poor is the kind of fulfillment that makes Reyes truly happy and fulfilled.
He knew the aspirations and struggles of the poor, having grown up in a destitute environment himself.
The youngest in a brood of nine, Reyes sold newspapers, ice candy, and cigarettes at age 10 to make ends meet for his family.
He was able to finish his studies through the help of his brother, the famous Ricky Reyes, who was already successful in his salon business in the ’70s.
But even when his life got better, Reyes never forgot about the poor, and thought of doing something for them.
In his own little way, Reyes wants to make the poor self-sufficient and not just reliant on dole-outs. Teaching them an income-generating skill through hair cutting is the best way he knows to help people.
