Going bald for orphans

Tania Habimana, a RSM student of Rwandan descent, went bald last week to raise money for the charity WAR CHILD and to increase awareness regarding orphans in Rwanda.

Tania had her hair shaved off on Friday, October 26 – and all for a good cause. “It was scary. My heart was beating so fast. I was panicking,” Tania says. However, she doesn’t regret having gone through with it. After all, Tania was able to raise approximately $ 2000 for WAR CHILD.

People’s reactions

“People’s reactions to my new look are mixed,” Tania says. “Overall, however, I have received congratulations for raising the money and for completing the act of going bald,” she adds. Moreover, many people show interest in the story behind the shaving act.

Location

The event was originally supposed to take place in the T-building of the Erasmus University. However, this was not possible due to logistical reasons as the stylist was not able to come to the university. Instead, Tania went to the hair salon. “The stylist was great at keeping me calm while I was getting my head shaved,” Tania says.

The story behind the act of going bald

Thousands and thousands of children were orphaned during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Unfortunately, according to Tania, many people in the West are not aware of the challenges these children have to face in the aftermath of the war. For example, in order to make room for younger ones, many children have to leave the orphanage at the age of fifteen without having any prospects. Sadly, there are simply more children in need than aid available. NL