TangentsBy Ihtisham Kabir
A Special <i>Haircut </i>
Felicity Shows Her Hair to Students. Photo: Ihtisham Kabir
MIllions cut their hair every day. It is a mundane activity. But today I am watching an unusual haircut at the International School, Dhaka. This hair long and full, a reddish shade of brown - belongs to Felicity Aris, 12, a pretty, demure seventh-grader whose hobbies include playing basketball and reading. In front of a crowd of fellow students, Felicity will cut her beautiful hair today. Why? She wanted to do something for children with cancer who lose their hair due to chemotherapy. So, a month ago, Felicity announced at her school's assembly that she was going to cut her hair for cancer patients. She asked fellow students to sponsor her by pledging money to Dhaka-based Ashic Foundation, payable if she kept her word and indeed cut her hair. Ashic Foundation is dedicated to Bangladeshi children suffering from cancer. It was started by a family whose three year old son, Ashiq, died of cancer in 1993. Annually, an estimated 7000-9000 children get cancer in Bangladesh. So here I am, watching Felicity sitting on a chair in the school's open portico, waiting for a haircut. I cannot guess what she is feeling, so I ask. “It is scary, but I want to do it,” she says, green eyes exuding a quiet confidence. I try to think how important hair must be for a girl her age. To sacrifice it for others is a brave gesture. Felicity's mother Totty Aris, Deputy Head of ISD's Secondary School, is combing her daughter's mane into a braid. About three dozen children have gathered around her. The girls look at Felicity, eyes wide with awe and suspense. They fuss and touch her hair. The boys look less certain, probably wondering what the excitement is about. Several kids walk around with clipboards securing last-minute pledges. Some children drop cash into a donation box for Ashic. After the hair is braided, the cutting lady arrives with the scissors which look small but ominous. A hush falls over the crowd. She starts, gently cutting away at the base of the braid. The hair is unexpectedly thick, and it takes a few minutes. Finally the braid comes off. Felicity holds it up for the children to see. Several eager hands reach out and touch it. Afterwards, Felicity puts it in a plastic bag. She looks just as pretty, but more like a basketball player than a bookworm. “What will happen to that hair?” I ask. It will go to Little Princess Trust in the UK which makes wigs for children who lost hair to chemotherapy. Wig made from this hair beautiful though the colour is - would serve far better there than here. When the occasion is over, teachers shoo their students back to class. Felicity sits alone for a few minutes, collecting her thoughts. Then she, too, returns to her lessons. I leave admiring her generous act, with which she raises over Tk 50,000 in donations for children suffering from cancer.
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