The nonprofit Don’t Forget About Me (DFAM), which “uses hairstylists to heal” people in crisis areas such as natural disasters and mass shootings, has introduced a jobs initiative to help survivors of domestic violence to pursue careers in beauty and grooming.
The program, Yo Misma Fui Mi Ruta (I Am My Own Pathway), launched in Puerto Rico. It’s a continuation of the nonprofit’s roots that started in the U.S. island territory in 2017 after Hurricane Maria.
The initiative aims to help survivors break the cycle of domestic violence by giving them the skills to earn their own income. It provides a 3-month professional development curriculum in cosmetology and barbering through partner organizations.
“Addressing the immediate safety and well-being of survivors is crucial, but equally important is teaching them with the skills necessary to achieve long-term economic independence,” DFAM said in announcing the new program.
The nonprofit recruits beauty, grooming, and wellness professionals to provide free services to people in trauma and need, frequently working with women’s shelters and other organizations that aid survivors of domestic violence.
It also sends salon educators to Puerto Rico to offer free continuing education to stylists there.
DFAM cites statistics from Puerto Rico indicating domestic violence is a growing problem. In 2023, the Puerto Rican legislature amended its anti-domestic violence law, Act 54, to include “economic violence” as a form of domestic violence.