PCYC Napranum youth ready for their school photos after a fresh cut from Axe the Barber. Photo: Supplied.
This year’s Napranum school photos will look fresher than ever after a Weipa barber’s generous gift of free haircuts to the local PCYC’s young boys and men.
From tapers to fades, 19 students from prep to year 12 walked away with a sharp new cut on 17 May from Axel Tongia, aka Axe the Barber.
Mr Tongia, who barbers part-time alongside his day job at Western Cape College as an operations officer for the Clontarf Foundation, said he wanted to use his skills to help the boys feel their best on school photo day.
“I work at Western Cape College Monday to Friday, and I’m down at the PCYC weekly with work, so I’m heavily involved with the kids in Weipa and Napranum, so I wanted to dedicate some of my personal time to them,” he said.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and who doesn’t feel better after a haircut, you know?”
The barber said it was great he already had a relationship with all the kids, and that they were able to get the experience of having a rapport with their barber, which was not always possible in a remote community.
“I was fortunate enough that I knew all the kids I cut on the weekend,” Mr Tongia said.
“Usually, people wait until their next trip to Cairns to get a haircut, but because I knew them, I think it was comfortable.
“It was a great experience, and we’ll definitely be doing it again; I’ve had a lot of messages with people saying they’re so thankful, and what really made it worth it is just the kids rocking up and leaving with a big smile on their faces.”
PCYC Napranum Acting Sergeant Emma Wallis said the western Cape York club was grateful for Mr Tongia’s kindness and care for the boys ahead of their big day in front of the camera.
“A fresh haircut for school photos is a big thing; a lot of these boys and young men take a lot of pride in their appearance and how they present themselves, and you know what they say, ‘if you look good, you feel good’,” she said.
“Axel is a wonderful role model for these young men, not only giving them the tools to be their most confident selves, but also demonstrating the value of doing things for others without expecting anything in return.”
No trip outside of community was needed for PCYC Napranum boys to freshen up their look last week. Photo: Supplied.
