Brits launch campaign to get people walking again in West Africa

This March, let it grow. Pledge to not shave or trim your leg-hair for the full 31 days of March. Get nice and hairy and also help people that can’t grow hair on at least one of their legs!

Meet Legs4Africa supporter and the brains behind the campaign – Jo Burgess. For the month of March Jo has pledged to ‘cultivate her fur’ in a ploy to kick back at societal norms while supporting amputees in West Africa.

“I often feel that society expects women to have smooth legs and armpits, and it is almost controversial to let your hair grow in these places. I have heard of people in the service industry being told to trim themselves because of customer complaints, which would never be asked of a man.

I think it is time to make a stand and become a ‘March Hair’. I will not be shaving any part of my body during March and will hopefully feel empowered and confident with my new furry fur.

The social stigma that women receive for having leg hair is bad in the UK. But the stigma surrounding disability in West Africa can be extreme.

I will be supporting Legs4Africa as they help amputees in West Africa to acquire prosthetic legs, find community support and help quash the stigma that disabled people receive. I will know that the hair growth on my legs will be helping people that cannot grow hair on at least one of their legs.”

Legs4Africa is a grassroots organisation based in Bristol. Since the charity’s founding in 2014, they have sent over 4,000 prosthetic legs out to people across the developing world, but predominantly in The Gambia. Here in the UK, prosthetics are not recycled. Over in Africa, prosthetics are not readily available. So the Legs4Africa team put two and two together and get those limbs out to the people that need them most.