LifeNets Livelihood Development Grant for Beauty
Salon
in Lilongwe, Malawi
Posted September 5, 2009
Last year LifeNets awarded Loveness Luwanja a grant for beauty equipment, supplies as well finances to build a small shop in a busy commercial section of Lilongwe. The shop has since been built. She is married to James who is a plumber. They have a small son Harrison. Victor and Beverly Kubik were able to visit with them in October 2008 when the shop was first being built. It now has a steady stream of customers. Loveness is very good at what she does and people like coming to get their hair done at Lovely Looks Hair Dressing Salon. It was named by Christina Davis when she did her internship with Seattle University in connection with LifeNets earlier in 2009.
It's not been easy even with the finished building. Electricity has not yet been brought through and they rely on a generator for electric power. There has been connected to water either and have to bring it in. Read their letter below the photos.
Photo taken September 14, 2009
 Loveness and some of her new equipment
Customer!
Last October 2008 when the shop was going up |
 Shop nearing completion
Loveness, James and little Harrison
|
Letter from Mr. and Mrs. James and Loveness Luwanja
We are very appreciative for the project that LifeNets funded for our family. Now the Salon side for Loveness has started operating and the community has already starting benefiting. We have employed one lady who has two fatherless children both of them girls.
We are not yet connected with water. We are being supplied with water which we buy at a nearby kiosk.
The community is thanking us for building a smart and well designed shop which is offering good services of Loveness’s hair styling skills at an affordable price. While we have no electricity, people have nothing to worry because we use a generator which provide power all day and we are also thankful for that.
Because of the site where the building has been located we have decided to hold on to opening the plumbing shop but decided to open another shop which can attract customers for Loveness and help to open up the place that more customers can be coming for different items for ladies. Another woman who is a widow will be coming in to help. She is also going to paint the shop. Proceeds from this adjoining shop will go towards paying for more equipment and furniture for Loveness' side
This has been the first high class salon in the area ever since and we are ready to work hard as an appreciation to LifeNets who has spent a lot of funds freely for the benefit of our family, extended families and the surrounding community. The salon has been named by Christina Davis who came to Malawi to do research on LifeNets projects. She called it Lovely Looks Hair Dressing Salon.
We thank God for answering our prayer through LifeNets and ask the same God to bless all those who are working for LifeNets voluntarily to help the needy. May the Good Lord add more days for your life and give you all good health so that the needy prayers are answered the whole world. We are ready to support LifeNets wherever we can can and when we are needed.
-- James and Loveness Luwanja