Greater good: Free grooming for those who need it in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD: A free haircut and manicure facility was launched along with Sylani Dastarkhawan by Sylani Welfare Trust in Faisalabad on Sunday.

Haji Muhammad Yaseen, a trustee of Sylani Welfare, told The Express Tribune that the trust organised dastarkhawans in various parts of Faisalabad.

He said there it was observed that a large number of people eating at the dastarkhawans had been coming with unattended hair and nails.

He said when they were asked about it, they had said they could not afford to pay barbers.

He said the trust had then decided to provide a free nail and hair cutting facility at the dastarkhwans.



Yaseen said it had kicked off on Sunday at Jhang Road where the service of an experienced barber was hired. He said a similar facility would be extended at all Sylani dastarkhawans in the city.

Sheikh Shafiq Miandad, an organiser of the Sylani Dastarkhawan at Jhang Road, said there were 18 such dastarkhawans in Faisalabad where food was distributed among the poor.

He said the trust had first experimented with a barber offering free haircuts at one dastarkhawan.

“People were delighted,” he said. “Many came with their children and got their hair washed and cut.” He said the trust would also arrange clean clothes for the poor.

Visitors at the Sylani dastarkhawan thronged to the barber for haircuts and nail trims.

Talking to The Express Tribune while getting his hair cut, 22-year-old Amjad said he had run away from home several years ago. “I had no place to sleep and no food eat,” he said.

He said one of his friends had told him about the food offered by Sylani Welfare Trust.

He said he ate from the trust’s facility twice a day.

He said he had been very happy to see a barber at the venue. “I don’t remember when I had my last haircut,” he said, pointing to his long hair matted with dirt. “People don’t even like to stand next to me because I so look unclean,” he said.  He said he was very happy about this service. “I did not expect to get a haircut today,” he said happily.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2015.