Billy B. shares his once-in-a-lifetime experience that has given him a new outlook on life.	February 1, 2004 American Salon
	Making people beautiful has its advantages. Besides creating looks that make our clients feel better, sometimes the image-maker is the one who is better off from the experience. I recently accompanied Beyone to South Africa, where she was performing in an AIDS benefit concert hosted by Nelson Mandela. The event was part of his 46664 campaign named after his prison number. We were in South Africa for four days, and I was there to do Beyoncepos;s makeup. It was a job, but the experience transformed into a life lesson. Between a dinner hosted by Mandela (Bono and Oprah were among the attendees) and the concert, Beyonce, Bono, and I visited the Baphumelele Children's Home. It was a three-bedroom shack with no government funding-it relies solely on donations. Newspapers were used for insulation, and there was no electricity or running water. The only thing that really made it an orphanage was that there were 29 children ranging in age from three months to 16 years living there, albeit in a 750-square-foot space. Every child was either HIV positive or had full-blown AIDS and was orphaned by AIDS. While we were there, we gave the woman in charge $200-the cost to bury two infants who were kept in the morgue due to a lack of funds. The situation in South Africa was truly mind-boggling to me. It's unfortunate that I had to experience what's going on in Africa first-hand to teach me this simple lesson: It may sound cliche, but as Americans we have no idea how lucky we are. As screwed up as we think our healthcare system may be, we have healthcare. Most of us have the basic things needed for survival. The circumstances of privilege-such as bad service at a restaurant or in my case being unable to fly business class-trouble us. I am thankful that this trip helped me put things in perspective. It was amazing to see how happy these children were. When we arrived, they welcomed us with a beautiful South African greeting song. Lately, whenever I feel inconvenienced, I look back on their smiling faces and am able to quickly adjust my attitude. I am fortunate to start the New Year with a more appreciative mindset. I hope it lasts for many years to come. In Africa the AIDS epidemic is devastating, and just $100 will provide one person with enough medication for a year. Think of what we as an industry could do if we donated $1 from each service! If you'd like to give, call 011-27-21-361-8631; mail your donations to Baphumelele, Z118 Dabula Street, Khayelitsha 7784 Republic of South Africa; or e-mail me for more information. The children of South Africa will always have a place in my heart.