Meet Felicia Odedeji di 19-year-old female barber

Felicia Odedeji, di 19 year old female barber

BBC

Felicia Odedeji be 400L student of university of Ilorin, for Kwara state Nigeria wey choose barbing as profession sake of na something wey she like.

19-year-old Felicia siddon wit BBC Pidgin to yarn about her interest for dis jonb wey some pipo consider to be ‘masculine’

“E get one time wey I be want start keke (tricycle) driving business but my sister and papa no put hand.

I come look for something else wey I fit do na so I pick barbing sake of I like am.” Felicia tok.

“One day I dey browse social media and I see one girl wey dey cut hair for pipo,  I check her page out and I see say she sabi well, na den I come make up my mind say na barber work I go do.

Wen I inform my papa about dis one, e say make I go ahead but my sister say no o, say I go dey touch different men head but my papa say make she allow me do wetin I want”. She add.

Felicia pose with her client

BBC

How Felicia learn barber work

According to Felicia, na June 2020 she start to dey learn, and by August, she don start to hold clipper and by January 2021 she don sabi.

“Di first clipper wey I buy for myself, na my papa hair I take am cut, although e no dey ok but my papa tok say di hair dey ok so e go fit encourage me but me wey cut di hair see say e no too dey ok.

 Any type of hair wey come my way now no dey fear me again as I don sabi.

 I fit do low cut, fading of any kind, colouring, locking of hair any kind style I dey there.” Felicia tok.

Felicia and her client

BBC

Challenges wey female barbers dey face

Felicia tok say she no dey give chance to any man wey  dey try disturb her for oda tins oda dan to cut dia hair sake of business na business.

She say e get plenti challenges wey female barbers dey face sake of di believe of some pipo.

” Some men go tok say dem no fit allow woman to touch dia head, while some go say na only dia wife fit touch dia head and some no dey trust say woman fit sabi cut dia hair wella”.

She also tok about some of di good side to di job.

“Dis work don help me well as I no dey ask my parents for money again except my school fees and hostel money, no be say I no fit pay am myself o but na dia responsibility.

I don train two pipo completely and six pipo currently dey learn under me”.