AdminThe Fondation L’Oréal’s Beauty For A Better Life (BFBL) programme continues to make a lasting impact in Malaysia, empowering women from disadvantaged backgrounds with the tools to forge new futures. Now in its eighth year, the initiative has welcomed 53 new participants to its 2024 cohort, where they will receive professional training in hairdressing and makeup artistry. The programme aims to equip these women with the skills needed to build successful careers in the beauty industry.
Since its launch in Malaysia in 2016, the BFBL programme has supported 249 graduates, boasting an impressive 90% employment rate within three months of graduation. The programme provides more than just technical training; it also fosters personal development, offering participants the confidence and interpersonal skills needed to thrive in their chosen professions.
A Partnership Driving Success
At the launch event for the 2024 cohort, Tomas Hruska, Managing Director of L’Oréal Malaysia, spoke passionately about the programme’s lasting impact. “Beauty For A Better Life represents our long-term mission at L’Oréal Malaysia to help individuals make meaningful breakthroughs in their lives. We are immensely proud to empower this new class of graduates, who we believe will serve as beacons of inspiration in their communities through the skills they have developed here,” Hruska said.
Hruska also credited the programme’s collaboration with WOMEN, which has been instrumental to its success. “Seeing the passion and dedication of these graduates inspires us all. We hope their journeys as beauty entrepreneurs will demonstrate to others the power they hold to transform their lives and communities.”
Participants’ Inspiring Journeys
This year’s graduates include individuals like 20-year-old Vinmalar A/P Rabil, an unemployed SPM leaver who faced financial constraints in pursuing a formal education in makeup. Through the BFBL programme, Vinmalar has gained the foundation she needs to pursue her passion for makeup artistry.
Another participant, Cheong Yi Wen, found new purpose in the programme after experiencing burnout and mental health challenges in her previous career. Yi Wen shared the programme enabled her to rediscover her creative side, and she now plans to expand her skills into special effects (SFX) makeup.
One of the most inspiring stories from the BFBL programme is that of Nursyasya Afina binti Suhaimi, a 2022 graduate of the hairdressing course who has now returned as an educator. Following her own transformative experience in the programme, Nursyasya has gone on to establish a successful career, owning two hair salons in Melaka and recently launching her own training academy.
Her success story serves as a powerful example of the programme’s ability to not only change individual lives but also create a ripple effect that benefits the wider community. These women, along with others, will benefit from the ongoing support and mentorship provided by L’Oréal and WOMEN, ensuring they have the tools to succeed long after graduation.
Expanding Reach and Future Goals
Since its inception, the Beauty For A Better Life programme has steadily expanded its reach, with L’Oréal Malaysia continuing to open new training centres and enhance its offerings. The programme collaborates with L’Oréal Professionnel and L’Oréal Paris to provide advanced masterclasses, and also supports job placements for graduates.
With each passing year, BFBL aims to reach even more women and provide them with the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to transform their futures.
For more information on Beauty For A Better Life, visit the L’Oréal Foundation website.
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