February 15, 2015, international cancer Childhood Day-1000 altruistic individuals descended on Avenue shopping Lotte, Jakarta Central, undergoing a makeover just might make the life of a person with cancer.
Statistics show that one in 600 children will suffer from cancer before they reach 16; and that each year 4,100 new cases of childhood cancer are expected in Indonesia. Cancer is difficult for anyone, at any time, but perhaps especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds whose families can not always afford the necessary care. This is something local charity Yayasan Kasih Anak Kanker Indonesia (YKAKI) is working to address. But one of the difficulties YKAKI can not always solve is the frequent loss of one of the signifiers of beauty society of our hair due to chemotherapy.
This was the inspiration for Engeline Tjia, Marketing Director of Lotte Mart Indonesia, to launch the event, entitled Hair for Love. "I had a friend who had a mastectomy and lost her hair. I felt it was a double whammy, "says Tjia, also stressing that the Indonesians have beautiful, lustrous hair that is perfect for making wigs (if the blank is about 15-20cm) or eyelashes.
Over 1,200 donors signed online before the event. Organizers expect to raise something in the region of Rp.2 billion in profits after wig expert D'Eyeko worked their magic, which will go to YKAKI. The event included celebrity stylists, makeup artists and presenters, as well as survivors of speech to inspire those facing the chop.