The art of henna: putting your know-how at the service of the community

It is by chance that we meet Zakia Safa Zakir Hussein, on a Wednesday evening in April, at the Khadija Mosque, where she has been involved since adolescence. The 18-year-old student devotes her free time to giving back to the community, especially during the month of Ramadan.

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With one of her colleagues, Zakia Safa decided to put her talents as a henna tattoo artist to good use. Generally performed on the hands and feet, this temporary tattoo is an ancestral practice that is common in family celebrations and Muslim religious ceremonies, whether for aesthetic reasons or religious reasons.

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Every Wednesday starting at 2 pm, young tattoo artists offer their services at the Khadija Mosque. They tattoo for $10 per hand. “All the money collected will be donated to the construction of a mosque in Punjab, India,” says Zakia. Beyond her generosity, Zakia is a budding entrepreneur. She started a henna business that took her to travel the island of Montreal. In order to acquire the resources she needed to grow her business, she decided to pursue her studies in entrepreneurship at Dawson College. “I started my business on Instagram.

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At first, I posted photos there, but I didn't have a lot of customers. So I gave up a bit,” says the artist. Today, Zakia has over 1,000 followers on her Instagram page, and she is getting more and more messages from people who would like to get her services. “A lot of people have contacted me to make an appointment, and my business is still growing,” she says.

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It was to support her family that the young adult first went into business. “Since I was young, my parents have given me the best life possible. I went to private schools that are very expensive. My parents had to pay nearly $5,000 a year to send me there,” she says.

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Today, Zakia Safa wants to return the favor to her parents and in turn contribute to the well-being of her family. “I try to give back to my parents by making as much money as possible and hoping to give them everything they could give me.”