Bataung Moeketsi

BARBER Di, a Maseru barber, is running a campaign dubbed A Cut for a Difference through which he intends to give to the less fortunate.

Through the campaign, he gives haircuts in exchange for donations which will be given to the needy.

The campaign started on 10 July and will run until 10 August 2020.

Clients may either find him at Confidence Hair and Beauty Salon or opt for house calls.

In return for the haircuts, the customers may either donate winter clothes, food stuffs, stationary, face masks and sanitisers among others. Barber Di told the Xpress People on Friday that the donations will be given to shelters, orphanages and the homeless at the end of the campaign.

His charitable activities started three years ago when he started donating clothes to homeless children.

However, he has decided to upscale his efforts this year because of the “hurt” that comes along with seeing the less fortunate struggling in this winter season.

“The idea is also influenced by a projected that I have been working on called Qamako, which is about teaching Basotho about compassion,” Barber Di said.

“There is humanity before money and we have forgotten to spread love and show compassion towards our neighbours.

“Money is physical and people have made it seem greater than love. That’s where A Cut for a Difference comes in, as I’ll be cutting hair for donations which will be given to the needy.”

Born Liteboho John Sebonyane in Mohale’s Hoek, Barber Di attended St James High School in Maseru where he obtained his LGCSE in 2014.

He started cutting his own hair five years ago and decided to make it his profession around the same time.

“I’ve had the pleasure of cutting some of Maseru’s celebrities like Ntate Stunna, Malome Vector, Sk’haftin, Juvy wa Limpimpara and Kopper Waleh among others. I’ve also styled and cut Step Up Lesotho presenter, Morakane Mokete’s hair.”

As a part of his Qomako project, Barber Di recently took up the moniker, Kali Lebeola, to pay homage to a popular praise poem dedicated to King Moshoeshoe I.

The praise poem reads as follows:

“Ke nna Moshoeshoe Moshoashoaila oa ha Kali (I am Moshoeshoe, Barber of Kali)

“Lebeola le beotseng Ramonaheng ditelu (Shaver who skinned off Ramonaheng’s beard),

“Le ho hola, ha li e’so hole (And as for growing, they haven’t grown yet)

“Li ea sala, li hola maisao (They remain to grow in years to come).”