In a quiet beauty salon in Erbil, nine-year-old Elian Guevara takes a deep breath and sits on a chair, ready to cut a portion of her long, shiny hair. This isn’t just any haircut – it’s a gift for children diagnosed with cancer who have lost their hair after chemotherapy. Her hair is a gift of dignity, strength, and hope – one she will donate to Wigs For Kids, a charity supported by the UK-based Little Princess Trust that crafts natural hair wigs and sends them free of charge.
For Guevara, this isn’t just about giving away her hair – it is a deeply human act and a symbol of solidarity, bringing smiles to other children who have lost theirs due to chemotherapy. At an age where her hair might be her joy, her courage tells a powerful story: beauty is more than appearance – it’s compassion in action.
This is one of many inspiring donor stories. Guevara’s decision was spontaneous, moved by stories from her aunt, a volunteer at Nanakali Hospital in Erbil. She heard about the suffering of young cancer patients, whose struggles are not only physical but also emotional – fighting pain and treatment side effects while trying to maintain their confidence and self-image. Guevara decided to grow her hair long specifically so she could donate it.
“My aunt told me about kids who feel ashamed to go outside after losing their hair,” she told Kurdistan Chronicle. “That’s when I knew I wanted to help.” She’s also thankful for her family’s full support. “Everyone encouraged me. I hope others in Kurdistan will do the same.”
Paying it forward
Elian’s story is part of a bigger movement, with Wigs for Kids quietly changing lives in Kurdistan over the past four years. The idea is simple but powerful: collect donated hair, send it to the UK-based Little Princess Trust, and return natural hair wigs to cancer patients in Kurdistan.
Wigs for Kids was founded by Dr. Iman Ibrahim, a medical doctor who, after relocating to the UK in 2022, felt a responsibility to support patients back home. “The idea came from my experience after voluntarily working for a decade to help cancer patients,” she says. “One of the gaps I noticed was the lack of confidence among patients diagnosed with cancer after losing hair, and the absence of a center to collect donated hair and turn it into real-hair wigs – despite the high demand.”
While still in medical school, Ibrahim had volunteered in Erbil’s only cancer hospital, leading educational, entertainment, and mental health support projects. “I felt distant from the patients,” she explains, “but still deeply connected to the humanitarian acts of selflessly giving back that once gave me meaning and purpose.”
After the passion spread, around ten selfless young people now volunteer for the charity. Some deliver wigs themselves through local courier services without charging a single dinar. Others are wig fitters or salon and donation coordinators. The team also credits the shipping company that transports donated hair to the UK and wigs back to Kurdistan – completely free of charge.
Aysha Omar, the project coordinator, works closely with patients at Nanakali Hospital and is one of the driving forces behind the movement. A young Kurdish woman with a degree in English, Omar has been volunteering at the cancer hospital for eight years. She also teaches in a small school inside the hospital, supporting children diagnosed with cancer who have had to stop regular schooling due to weakness and the other side effects of chemotherapy. “Some parents tell us their children are bullied or stared at after losing their hair,” she says. “Some even stop going to school. Hearing this breaks our hearts, but I’m glad we can now help them.”
A costly gift, freely given
The project has progressed in two phases. In the beginning, all wigs were made using hair donated by people abroad. But soon, something beautiful happened: locals in Kurdistan began donating their hair too.
Boxes at Nanakali Hospital began collecting donor information – name, hair length, and contact details for certificates of appreciation. To qualify, hair must be at least 17 centimeters long, in good condition, and cut within the last five years. Dyed hair is accepted, as long as it isn’t an unconventional color like pink or blue.
“A high-quality wig made from natural hair can cost up to $1,000, but the Little Princess Trust provides them for free, and we give them to children who request them without expecting anything in return,” Ibrahim says.
“What’s unique about the wigs we provide is that they are not only made of real, donated hair, but they are custom-made for each child. We take head measurements, and the wig is tailored based on hair length and color from a photograph taken before they had lost their hair. We support children and adolescents with cancer up until the age of 18,” she says.
Omar also emphasizes that these are not commercial wigs, but handmade from real hair, free of allergens, discomfort, or odor. “At first, people were skeptical. But now, the response is amazing. We’re flooded with support.”
So far, over 70 cancer patients, mostly children and teens have received wigs through the project, and the number continues to grow. The team hopes to open hair collection centers across all four governorates of the Kurdistan Region to make the process easier for donors and recipients alike.
Restoring confidence
The initiative is not just about appearance. It is about restoring something that chemotherapy often takes away: confidence and identity. “It’s heartwarming to see patients returning their wigs after they recover,” Ibrahim says. “Others, once they’re healthy, grow and donate their own hair to help someone else. It’s a beautiful cycle of giving. We always remind them that they are beautiful and that the wig is only temporary – until they recover and their hair grows back.”
There are countless stories, but one that stands out for Omar is about a recently married couple. The wife was diagnosed with cancer and began losing her hair, which made her feel unattractive. The emotional toll strained their relationship. But, after receiving a wig, she regained her confidence, and their bond was restored.
“We’ve also had children who isolated themselves from friends because they could not accept how they looked,” Ibrahim shares. “But once they received a wig, they felt confident to socialize again. The different reactions are the most emotional part – once the real-hair wig is placed on a child’s head, some dance with joy, while others break down crying. It’s like regaining their identity and self-image.”
As a physician, Ibrahim believes that gestures like this, though small to some, can significantly boost a cancer patient’s emotional well-being. There’s growing evidence that psychological factors like hope and optimism can indirectly help patients cope better with treatment and even impact their overall health.
Support from the UK-based Little Princess Trust
Phil Brace, CEO of The Little Princess Trust, explained that they are “very happy to be providing free wigs to children in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Our work in Iraq has only recently begun, but it is an honor and a privilege to be helping young people there.”
He also outlined the organization’s operational plans: “We do not currently have plans to start wig-knotting in Iraq, but we are always willing to explore new opportunities as we continue with our mission to help more children with cancer.”
The Little Princess Trust provides free wigs to children in several countries and has partnerships with salons in Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.
Ibrahim praised the efforts of this organization, as they help cancer patients without compensation. “The Little Princess Trust team responded to my request to help children in Kurdistan after only one email, in which I explained the shortage of resources and the unlikelihood of establishing such a center anytime soon. Since then, they have provided wigs and support to many cancer patients in Kurdistan,” she says.
KRG support
According to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Health, there were around 9,000 cancer cases in the region in 2023. That number fell slightly in 2024, with nearly 300 fewer diagnoses. Many of the patients are internally displaced persons or people from outside the region.
Dr. Jinar Sanjawi, head of the cancer control unit at the Ministry of Health, says the ministry fully supports the wig donation initiative. “We will offer every form of support available. It’s a vital, compassionate project.”
The government is also taking major steps in cancer care. In September 2024, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani laid the foundation for Kurdistan’s largest cancer hospital, which will be built in Erbil. The facility will span 30,000 square meters, hold 150 beds, and offer highly advanced treatments, including chemotherapy, PET scans, MRIs, bone marrow transplants, and more.
Localization efforts
The Wigs for Kids team dreams of one day producing wigs locally in Kurdistan. However, the specialized equipment needed to process and style hair is costly, but the benefits would be immense.
According to the team, Erbil is the first place in Kurdistan and Iraq to provide natural hair wigs to children for free and to work with the UK-based wig provider.
“If we get support from the government or other charitable groups, we can open centers in Erbil and other cities,” says Ibrahim. “It would not only speed up the transportation process but also create jobs, especially for women, since the wig-making process is handmade and involves careful knotting of individual hairs onto wig caps.”
In the meantime, the charity continues growing its community. The Instagram page (@wigs4kids.kri) and contact information make it easy for donors and families to reach out for hair donations and wig requests.
Hemen Baban Rahim is a Kurdish journalist who has worked for a number of local and international media institutions.
