Women displaced by gang violence receive beauty care for Haitian Mother’s Day | PHOTOS

PORT-AU-PRINCE — More than a dozen women who fled gang violence in the Haitian capital and sought refuge in the public high school camp, Lycée Anténor Firmin, received beauty treatments on Saturday, May 24, Mother’s Day weekend in Haiti. They were offered makeup, manicures, pedicures, hairstyling and permanent applications as part of an initiative led by a group of young volunteers, spearheaded by singer Maudeline Dérival. 

The Mother’s Day event allowed the women to reconnect with a sense of femininity and self-care in an environment where daily survival remains a constant struggle. 

“I am very happy and truly grateful for this moment. Normally, I wouldn’t be able to afford such a luxury” said Mégulia Jean Mary, who fled her home in Carrefour-Feuilles in August 2023. 

“You have lifted me up as a mother and it means a lot to me.”  

The movement called Bay lanmou, resevwa lanmou —Creole for ‘Give love, receive love’—has organized similar events before. Each time it brings a renewed sense of dignity to displaced women scattered across multiple camps in the capital. Many of these women, once homeowners, tenants or merchants, now find themselves in a precarious situation, uncertain of where to turn.

The atmosphere was charged with emotion. In a dimly lit room where a single projector barely cut through the shadows, women sat side by side receiving hand and foot treatments before getting their hair styled. Their goal was to wake up on Sunday with a refreshed appearance in celebration of Mother’s Day. Some exchanged smiles and conversations while others patiently awaited their turn. 

For a few hours, the initiative—organized by the team of the artist Fameuse Maude and supported on this day by the design company Ayibobo—allowed displaced women in the camp to escape the harsh realities of their daily lives.

“You know I am not at home, so life is difficult. But I am not the only one, so I endure it,” said Christiane Jean, a 63-year-old mother of six children who suffers from diabetes and hypertension. She also underwent surgery and still feels lingering pain.

“I still suffer and I lost everything in the attack. In the camps, even basic physiological needs are difficult to manage.”

Women and girls account for 55 percent of the more than one million displaced people across Haiti according to the International Organization for Migration IOM. They live in the camps under precarious conditions, without access to basic services such as security, food, and healthcare. 

The growing instability, fueled by gang violence and political chaos, is worsening their situation. According to UN Women, makeshift camps lacking basic necessities are putting them at particular risk of sexual and gender-based violence.  

Below are images showing the atmosphere during the beauty care session at the refugee camp inside the public high school, Lycée Anténor Firmin: 

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