May 17, 2021
Shaping a successful future
I find it hard to put the experience into words other than saying that I don’t think I will ever be the same person again – in a really cool way. I felt this massive sense of responsibility, to deliver a skill that could make the difference between a life less than ordinary… or one of hope. That responsibility has not, and will not ever leave me.
Craig Smith, Son’s favorite trainer in the program
Turning his dreams into a reality
By participating in the program, Son felt like he would finally be able to prove that he could make it in life. “Shaping Futures gave me the skills to cut and dye hair, and the confidence to work with customers,” Son reports. “The program was amazing. I immediately found a job and traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, where I worked in a pretty famous salon for two years,” he continues. He was able to practice and enhance his skills on the job, and gained a lot of confidence in the process. In 2016, Son decided to move back to his hometown to open his own professional hair salon.
Shaping Futures has given me the motivation, faith and inspiration to try my best to fulfill my dreams and aspirations, to become a professional hairdresser and have a stable future, and to help people in difficult situations like myself.
Bui Van Son, hairdresser and trainer at Shaping Futures
Today, Son is giving back what he once received, closing the circle of Shaping Futures. Since 2018, he has returned annually to the SOS Children’s Village where he grew up, to join the Shaping Futures training – only this time as a trainer in his own right.
Put someone who is passionately wanting to share with somebody who is passionately wanting to learn, and you create something special, something that is truly long-lasting – you create a career. For me, that is Shaping Futures.
Simon Ellis, International Creative Director Schwarzkopf Professional
