Although the debris of the earthquake in Haiti has slid out of view on our television screens, the reality of it is still there. Many people are living in makeshift tents constructed from debris, but a report from NPR sheds a little bit of hope on the situation — there are many beauty salons opening in the midst of all the destruction.

While beauty salons might not seem like a high-priority resource right now for the people of Haiti, it actually means more than you might think. You know the feeling of leaving the salon with perfectly polished nails or an edgy new haircut and thinking, “Yep, I look good.” Imagine living in the devastation that once was your town, and getting a pedicure — it might not be much, but it’s something to brighten an otherwise grim situation.

It’s also important to remember that before the natural disaster, much of Haiti was severely impoverished to begin with. One of the women quoted in the story talks about how she owned a salon before the earthquake, and she now has more competition than she had before. Again, even if it isn’t much, beauty salons and other pop-up businesses hint at economic activity.

Who says that a pedicure can’t be all that important?

Source: NPR