When not working as a retail broker, Christine Deschaine is focused on another cause in a region far away from her home base in Sherman Oaks. This year, the principal at Lee & Associates-Los Angeles North/Ventura Inc. completed work on a project which involved building a bridal boutique and hair salon in the village of Kaihura, Uganda. By teaming up with Tennessee-based Global Support Mission, Deschaine and a group of volunteers were able to bring the first standalone business to the small African village, where orphan children make up most of the population. In Los Angeles, most people are not inclined to “look at the other side of life,” Deschaine said. “You show up at a place like (Kaihura) and you ask yourself ‘What am I doing here? What’s my responsibility?’” Deschaine’s contribution to the building of the Village Art Hair Salon and Bridal Boutique involved both fundraising and some physical labor — pouring concrete, landscaping and painting. Upon returning home, the broker raised funds to provide the shop with the equipment and products to make it operational. By the end of last year, Deschaine and her team at GSM had raised some $8,000 and had collected about 25 wedding dresses to be used in the shop. When she returned to Africa in January, Deschaine attended the grand opening of the boutique. “It’s pretty amazing to sit back and look at the structure, the furniture and the people waiting in line to have a service,” she said. “You just say ‘Wow, we really made it happen.’” — Angela Melero
Broker Builds Hair Salon in Africa
