J Michael’s Spa & Salon Joins Forces With C.A.R.E. Africa

By VOICE-TRIBUNE Photos by Matt Johnson 

What started as a friendship and a prayer has turned into a life-changing partnership between two women determined to make opportunity accessible where it’s in desperate need. In Egbe, Nigeria, J Michael’s Spa & Salon has joined forces with C.A.R.E. Africa to open J Michael’s Salon Egbe, an apprenticeship salon that will give high school students in rural Nigeria a safe and professional place to learn a lifelong trade.

“This is more than a salon—it’s a chance to braid hope into the future of these students,” said Jill Higginbotham, owner of J Michael’s Spa & Salon. “They’ll have the opportunity to gain a trade that not only supports them financially but empowers them to invest in their communities.”

For many students in Egbe, learning hairdressing has meant traveling into town for apprenticeships, often in unsafe or unhealthy environments. The new salon, located directly on C.A.R.E. Africa’s mission property, eliminates that risk by providing a secure training space within the community. 

C.A.R.E. Africa operates as a family-based care ministry and mission that supports a school, sports outreach, empowerment programs, and work opportunities to 73 orphans and 62 caregivers. The addition of J Michael’s Salon Egbe expands those efforts by giving students a tangible path toward economic independence.

The project took an unexpected and fitting turn when organizers learned that Michael, one of C.A.R.E. Africa’s first college graduates, had already been training in hairdressing. He will now manage the salon and mentor students, continuing the cycle of support that helped him reach his own goals.

The connection between the two salons, both sharing the name J Michael’s, feels almost symbolic. In Louisville, it’s a thriving business built on professionalism, education, and care. In Egbe, it will serve as a training center where those same values are passed on to the next generation. 

The project is currently raising funds to:

• Purchase salon equipment and supplies

• Complete the salon space

• Launch the apprenticeship program

Supporters can contribute online at donorsee.com/jmichaels or donate in person at J Michael’s Spa & Salon.In-person donations of $20 or more include an ornament with prizes up to $100.

“It’s about giving students a chance to build a future through their own hard work and talent,” Higginbotham said.

With the new salon, students in Egbe will have access to the same kind of professional training that can sustain them for life. It’s a straightforward idea with lasting impact: equip people with skills, create safe environments to learn, and open doors to self-sufficiency.

For more information on C.A.R.E. Africa, visit www.iCareAfrica.org

For more information on J Michael’s Spa & Salon, visit www.jmichaelsspaandsalon.com