Togo Trains 400 Hairdressers to Support Mental Health Awareness

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Thursday, 23 October 2025 12:59

Togo Trains 400 Hairdressers to Support Mental Health Awareness

The Bluemind Foundation trained 400 hairdressers in Lomé to act as community mental health ambassadors.
The initiative aims to reach one million Togolese women by the end of 2026, with expansion planned in Kara, Centrale, and Savanes regions.
Togo faces a critical shortage of psychiatrists — only seven for eight million people — highlighting the need for community-based support models.

In Togo, 400 hairdressers have completed training as community mental health ambassadors under the Heal by Hair program, an initiative launched by the Bluemind Foundation. The four-day training, held in partnership with the University of Lomé, concluded on October 22 and focused on equipping women in the hairdressing sector to detect, support, and guide clients experiencing psychological distress.

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The sessions covered early identification of mental health issues, empathetic communication, and crisis management techniques. Participants are now expected to serve as local advocates capable of connecting women to professional care.

Marie-Alix de Putter, founder of the Bluemind Foundation, said: “Each trained salon becomes a haven of dignity and support. Our hairdressers are now essential community relays to promote mental health and break the stigma surrounding these disorders.”

The initiative transforms beauty salons — traditionally safe and social spaces for women — into informal hubs for emotional support and awareness.

Launched in Lomé in 2022, Heal by Hair has already supported more than 100,000 women across Togo, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire. The foundation plans to expand the program to the Kara region in July 2026, with a goal of reaching one million Togolese women by the end of that year, including 230,000 direct beneficiaries in Kara, Centrale, and Savanes.

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The project comes amid alarming mental health statistics. According to data from the Bluemind Foundation, about 10% of Africa’s population suffers from mental health disorders. In Togo, only seven psychiatrists serve eight million people, and less than 20% of Africans have access to adequate care due to financial constraints.

By using hair salons as community contact points, the foundation aims to overcome these structural barriers and extend mental health support to women who would otherwise remain outside the formal healthcare system.

REFORMS OVERVIEW

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At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

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In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

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GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

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