Devorah Shaltiel (Mixon) moved to Israel eight years ago after learning of her heritage. She is currently engaged to Daniel Edeh, has three adult children, one daughter-in-law, two beautiful grand daughters with grand twins on the way. Why the Hair care business? I have fond memories of my mom in the kitchen doing my hair (pressing and curling); it always felt like a time of bonding. 

Mom passed away with an unfulfilled dream of owning her own hair salon. She enjoyed doing hair so much that she desired to work in a funeral home or mortuary.  As morbid as this may sound, it just showed me how her dream and desire never died. Mom talked about wanting to attend cosmetology school, but due to circumstances in her life was never able to go. She took this dream to her grave. She was a gifted woman. She loved using her hands for a heartfelt purpose. So for me, hair styling is not my desire but it allows me to build on my mother's dream. This is the least I could do in honor of my mother's memory.

It was during a 2004 tour of Israel that I was befriended by a young Ethiopian Israeli woman.  I soon developed relationships in different communities and decided to move to Israel. I noticed the lack of hair products for people of color. At one point I became frustrated with what seemed like a lack of concern for the hair care needs of the people of African descent. Out of my frustration was born the desire to introduce black hair care products, not for my benefit only, but for a community of black people from all parts of Africa. Going to a country and not having access to hair products was like experiencing a famine.

I began to desperately research black hair care products; I discovered black hair history and a proud legacy of black owned businesses. I became so impressed with how resourceful our ancestors were. I was also disturbed by the exploitation of our communities. I later joined BOBSA to bring my aspirations to fruition. Sam Ennon had the zeal and patience to see me through.
 
There was a time when I was literally prepared to receive the keys and shipment to my storefront beauty shop and my eyesight began to decline. My mother and her only sister became terminally ill and they passed away within hours of each other. It was tragic for our family. I found the strength to call Sam to tell him about my sight loss. There was no way I could open a store- front. I asked about an online store. Since I had some myopic sight in my right eye maybe it is possible. I went through a rehabilitation program that helped me to understand my sight loss and to maintain a new kind of lifestyle called interdependence. I stayed connected to Sam and BOBSA, and now I'm in a place where I am ready to embark on this journey in remembrance of my mother and leave a legacy for my three children and four grandchildren.
 
This is more than a business opportunity for me. While being financially secure is the goal of many in business, it's equally important to contribute to those in need. My experience has taught me so much. Out of the ashes of my life the International Foundation for the Challengers of Blindness was founded. Much of the proceeds from Afro Israel will go to IFCB. IFCB is a non-profit organization based in Israel assisting persons of African descent living with blindness or visual impairment. Our goal is to help the blind communities realize their potential to make contributions to society.  We encourage blind and visually impaired communities to explore opportunities in rehabilitation, education and technology using the model in Israel. We also assist with the transitioning to vision loss. IFCB has branches in Kenya and Nigeria. The IFCB Board members are natives of Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, America and Israel. The Board members are blind, visually impaired or have family members blind or visually impaired.
 
I've been blessed while on this journey. As a person with visual disabilities, I've learned to appreciate life in new ways. There is another side of hair care that may be overlooked such as hair care for persons living with genetic dispositions like alopecia or balding and thinning hair and those who are undergoing cancer treatment. The importance of health care and maintenance is vital to overall health.

Contact Information
Devorah Shaltiel
Golani 21/607
Ashkelon, Israel
011-972-55-8857420
devorahmixon@gmail.com

Jasmine Curtis is a Bay Area native, recent graduate in Biology and Visual Arts from Cornell University, and the founder and CEO of an essential hair care company called AVOCURL. All products contain avocado, a "super-fruit" rich in vitamins and minerals, and are chemical free. 

Jasmine Curtis

Growing up, standard definitions of beauty rarely included kinks and curls, which left Jasmine frustrated with the hair that naturally grew out of her own head. In college, the transition to the harsher climate in upstate New York made it difficult to maintain healthy hair. The hard water and extreme temperatures left it dry, damaged, and brittle. Jasmine started making hair products in her dorm room out of a desperate need to find better ways to care for her own hair. She researched ingredients that nourished curls, consulted with food science and chemistry professors, and formulated AVOCURL with all natural ingredients.  

Keeping AVOCURL products chemical free is a priority not only because chemicals strip hair of its natural oils, but also because our bodies absorb everything that we put on our scalps, and our environment is affected by everything that we put down the drain. Jasmine's conditioning treatments worked so well that she threw out all of her other products and began making AVOCURL for friends and family. AVOCURL is committed to protecting personal health and the environment, challenging standard definitions of beauty, and providing men and women with products that promote healthy hair growth. 

Since launching AVOCURL, Jasmine has had the opportunity to host a natural hair workshop with the Multiracial American Association of Southern California and speak about developing a positive identity. She regularly participates in local festivals and events in the Bay Area selling AVOCURL products. 

AVOCURL products are currently sold online at www.AVOCURL.com.

Editor

Editor