He visited a school for the visually challenged children and found a child with a bleeding ear. The wound had occurred when the child was given a haircut. He was deeply moved by the sight and that sparked the vision for his initiative.
Meet, Vishakhapatnam-based hairdresser G Charan Kumar who offers his professional services free of charge for disabled children, orphans, and other minors from schools and homes for the destitute.
The child in question is Hari Krishna who can never forget the day when he got his first proper haircut 12 years ago. A haircut for him had always been something else till then – where he would be made to sit and sometimes stand with his head bent; the barber would go snip, snip, snip and be done in less than a minute with a few cuts here and there that Krishna would be left to nurse later. It all changed when G Charan Kumar gave him a haircut. “My hair felt lighter and I think I looked good,” says Krishna, now a teenager, in an interview which appeared in The Hindu.
Charan has come a long way since then. He now has a group called Trendz, named after his salon, with a team of 15 hairdressers from other salons in the city to give a free makeover to these special children. Charan, along with his team has given haircuts to hundreds of kids in orphanages and a few old-age homes. From fun spikes, short-crops to layered bouncy cuts, they give a complete makeover to the children and also explain to them about personal hygiene. He is now planning to host a fashion show with these children. Kids at the blind school, orphanages and even the elderly at old-age homes eagerly wait for him. Sharing that this work gives him happiness and bliss, he also encourages his customers to spend some portion of their money for social services as well.
In a world where we think help to the needy can only be given in the form of food or money, Charan proves that you can do much more than that. Offering the unique service of giving haircuts free of charge, he fills a gap that many fail to see.
Check out about Charan’s initiative in a sign language news feature.
This post is part of the We Are the World Blogfest, a monthly event created by Damyanti Biswas and Belinda Witzenhausen to showcase stories of hope and light. This month I’m helping out as a co-host, along with extraordinary bloggers Peter Nena, Eric Lahti, Roshan Radhakrishnan and Inderpreet Kaur Uppal – please hop over to check out their WATWB posts as well as from other WATWB participants for a dose of feel-good to last you a whole month. You’ll be happy you did!
Click HERE to check out the intention and rules of the blogfest and feel free to sign up at any time. You are always welcome!
24 Responses
What an amazing man . It is so easy to forget that differently abled are people too!
Such a caring man. Love that he’s helping those often marginalized in society. Thanks so much for sharing this and for being part of #WATWB!
What an amazing story. Kudos to Charan and his service to the disabled!!!
Kind hearted man. Not many people are like him. Can he do something about my receding hair?
How true, Shilpa! It’s not just money with which one can do something for the society. Extending a caring hand towards those who need one speaks so much about what one can do if one puts his heart into it.
Inspirational!
There are a million ways to make a fellow human smile rt ? Great !
Good gesture by Charan. True that kindness and love can be extended in many ways rather than money alone. A big salute to this young inspirational guy. Thanks for spreading light on him.
I loved reading about Charan and his thoughtful initiative. Thanks for sharing, Shilpa.
Such a beautiful, beautiful story and what a man! Thank you so much for sharing this story of thoughtfulness, kindness and compassion.
I am so touched by Charan’s gesture, true we can do so many things to bring a smile and make a difference, lovely post, thanks for sharing shilpa!!
Bless him for his boundless kindness and love! Thanks for sharing this story.
What a wonderful story. Simple things we can take for granted can be so meaningful to others, and it can be such a gift to provide those things. It’s such a win-win situation. I love that Charan has taken it a step even further and now has a team working on this initiative – spreading even more love and kindness.
A wonderful initiative by Charan!
I love that it’s a multi-purpose service, emphasizing personal hygiene and showing of compassion for others without having to rely only on money or food! Giving of your time is just as important!
Thank you for sharing!
This is fantastic, Shilpa! Thank you for sharing this with us. It is so wonderful that Charan not only noticed the cut on the ear, he took action to ensure it would not happen again. Thank you for co-hosting WATWB!
This is a wonderful gift that makes me appreciate how kind some people truly are. Haircuts make everyone feel better about themselves. Great find for the #WATWB.
A wonderful story of a kind man.
How wonderful. It’s easy to forget sometimes how even the little things can make a big difference in someone’s life. I’ve often wondered, when seeing people with their disabled, sometimes adult, children, why they don’t take more care of their appearance. It’s good to know someone cares.
well, I’m almost in tears Shilpa. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story of Charan and his team of Trendz – may they go from strength to strength. Thank you also for co-hosting.
Although I’m now nearly devoid of hair, I remember the days of fussing over it. It gives these children dignity and the importance of learning about hygiene too. I love that you included something of this story in sign language. Such an uplifting post. Thank you. Thanks for co-hosting.
Such love and such a regard for the dignity that these people were denied by others! I am grateful that there are people like Charan in the world.
This is wonderful, Shilpa! I like that the kids not only get haircuts but basic hygiene instructions, too, so they can keep their new look feeling and looking great.
Great blog
Do gibe a look at mine https://iamjatinnanda.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/turning-old/
People like him make the world a better place to live in ..
Bikram’s