Marie-Alix de Putter’s husband was murdered in Cameroon 12 years ago, when she was four months pregnant. It was the support of her hairdresser, and extensive psychotherapy, that kept her alive.

That experience led her to found Heal by Hair, which has trained around 150 hairdressers across Togo, Ivory Coast and Cameroon in west Africa to counsel their clients while getting their hair, nails and facials done.

“The biggest challenge was to convince the hairdressers of their value,” de Putter says. “They didn’t believe me when I told them what they do is important for their community.”