OUR NEIGHBORS | The power of prayer, hard work and community

Ndou immigrated from a village in South Africa so her former husband could go to school at Kansas State University. After she and her husband split, she was fearful of how she and her children would stay afloat. She was alone in a foreign county with no job, no home, no visa, and children to care for and provide for.

“When I was in really deep trouble, that’s what I remember thinking,” said Ndou. “‘What would my parents do?’ You are here, by yourself in a foreign county now, and I have two children. My parents would pray about this.”

Ndou and her children moved into the Manhattan Emergency Shelter and began her search for answers. She said she and her children would pray together.

“Morning and night we prayed,” Ndou said. “I remember because we did this so often my daughter at the time was 6 years old, and she asked me, ‘What kind of papers are you looking for?’ I thought I’m not going to tell my 6-year-old we are in trouble and we are homeless.”

Eventually, Ndou’s prayers were answered. She was at Mount Zion, and the pastor called upon her to tell her that she has asked something from God and that God would provide in more ways than she’d think. Soon after, a friend gave her an opportunity to braid hair.

Ndou quickly realized there was a need in the community for braiders and access to other hair styling options. She saw the need firsthand when she went to a beauty store to find products for her daughter’s hair.

“It was the biggest shop I’d ever seen, so I thought, surely there would be something here,” Ndou said. “I was running around Walmart and there was no hair. Little did I know I was going to be the person to make that change.”

Thus a vision was born. Ndou didn’t know how, but she knew she needed to open a Black beauty shop. In her attempts to move on to the next step, she scoured the city to find the perfect location.

“God had put this in my heart,” said Ndou. “I was carrying the baby, I was carrying something that I needed to deliver. I couldn’t think of anything else but the beauty supply.”

She said she prayed and just as before, her prayers were answered. While in church another member of the congregation called out to her to say her prayers would be answered and all would become clear.

Just a couple of days later, she had noticed the storefront across the street from her work was for rent. Ndou said she braided hair like her life depended on it and raised enough money to make her goal a reality.

“What happened that day was out of the ordinary,” said Ndou. “It was miraculous.”

Now she has not only created a Black beauty store that is thriving, but she has opened a second store in Ogden. She credits her success to her faith, hard work and support from the community.

Ndou is a member of the Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills and said having an organization like this support her business endeavors has greatly and positively affected her.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” said Ndou. “It is the right time for us minority businesses to rise up. It’s the perfect time now.”