OUR PARTNERS

We are excited to announce our partnerships with Stacey of Zafiro Salon, Carrie of Twisted Scissors Salon, and Pepe Barbero from the Pepe Barbero Barber Academy. Stacey and Carrie are salon owners I met in Antigua, Guatemala, who resonate with Shear Advantage's mission. They are eager to help our students learn and grow in between the annual trips that Shear Advantage organizes. Mhairi connected with Stacey, an American who moved to Guatemala 13 years ago. Stacey owns Zafiro, a salon located in the heart of Antigua. Along with Marleny, one of her employees, Stacey provided incredible support during our workshop. Shear Advantage is thrilled to have formed this partnership with Stacey and Marleny, who both generously volunteered their time with us throughout the week. They are also enthusiastic about supporting our students by offering continuing education classes between our workshop visits.

Carrie, an American who owns Twisted Scissors salon, introduced Shear Advantage to her two stylists, Marcoh and Angelica. They are mentoring two students, one from Pro Chipina and the other from El Patojismo. This presents a fantastic opportunity for the students to further develop their skills. Additionally, Carrie generously donated an extra salon chair to Maggie, who has established a small salon space in her hometown of Ciudad Vieja. Maggie is thrilled with her new chair, which has significantly improved her work.

Our most significant partnership is with Pepe Barbero, who operates a Barber Academy in Guatemala City. His program is recognized both nationally and internationally. Currently, Pepe has 400 active students, and the course typically lasts three months, costing around $750.

In an incredibly generous move, Pepe provided 25 scholarships for our students. Additionally, he has agreed to teach the program in Antigua once a week. Many of our students lack their own transportation, and public transport is often unreliable, so having Pepe come to Antigua will be a game changer.

Pro Chipina has kindly offered to host the classes at their location, which is a tremendous help.