Alli Nansolo debated whether or not to clip his son’s dreadlocks for years. Although it is not a legal requirement in Malawi, an informal policy that was implemented across government schools meant that his son was denied entrance due to his hair.
Nansolo’s meager dressmaking salary could not afford private education for his son Ishmael, and cutting his hair, an important symbol of their Rastafari religion, was unthinkable to him.
“Rastafari is a spiritual lifestyle.” “We are committing to a vow before the most high creator that we will serve him in our lives without denying his laws or commandments,” Nansolo told CNN.
The 48-year-old earns between 200,000 and 300,000 Malawian Kwacha (about $194 and $291).
