Our Mentees

 

The LOVE Naa Densua Foundation exists to connect young entrepreneurs with opportunities for growth, and our Mentorship Programme is one of our three channels for making this a reality.

Our Programme began as professional hairstyling workshops led by our founder, Charlotte Mensah in open air classrooms and salons in Ghana. Now she leads these sessions in a growing list of countries - giving young people opportunities to learn hairstyling skills as a sustainable way to form income for themselves and their families.

We envision our Programme growing into a network of professionals exchanging knowledge on various disciplines, across all parts of the globe.

 

Meet some of the promising young professionals who have benefited from our Programme so far.

A word from our Founder
on how her first Mentees inspired LOVE.

Educators are Innovators

 

“As a young stylist I travelled a lot throughout Africa teaching hair. My encounter with a student in Tanzania sparked a desire in me to pass on hair styling skills I learned from my mother, Love Naa Densua. She worked hard to give back to her siblings and their children, even when she had little of her own. I set up the Charlotte Mensah Academy holding workshops for young individuals in Ghana, where I grew up, enabling them to build better lives for themselves and their families. I was also driven to start my charity, LOVE (Ladies of Visionary Empowerment) Naa Densua, aimed at furthering education opportunities for young people in Africa.

I spent a lot of time in Ghana teaching in open air classrooms and salons across the country, as I find being mobile is more a priority than being static. I wanted to reach as many people as possible, and so I took my teachings to obscure places, connecting with women who couldn’t afford an education. The Academy involves giving young people the opportunity to learn hairstyling skills as a sustainable way of forming income for themselves and their families. The curriculum involves techniques from cutting to colouring, but I also teach the finer details of hair care. It also involves coaching on all aspects of running a business, from how to communicate with clients to the type of music that should be played, to the look and feel of a space and environment.

Through teaching a trade, individuals are provided with a life skill - a permanent way to feed their families as well as lift their self-esteem.

Whilst I continue my support from afar, it has become my life ambition to return every few months. When crating the Manketti Oil product line, I made a promise that 10% of the profits generated from the products would go back to those in need! It may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but I’m dedicated to the cause and hope this will make a difference.”

— Charlotte Mensah

If our origins resonate with you, learn a bit more about where our Foundation and Mentees are going, and how we’re getting there.