John Paul DeJoria (JP) CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems and patron of The Sole of Africa, has led the way by donating funds to Maria to give her new prosthetic legs. JP traveled to Mozambique earlier this year with the Sole of Africa team to see first hand the plight of people affected by landmines. It was during this trip that Christo Schutte of Mineseeker SA introduced him to Maria.

JP was so taken by Maria's positive attitude and her resolution to running her own hair salon, that he personally committed to helping Maria with getting prosthetic legs on behalf of Paul Mitchell Systems. In a moving moment on the beach, Maria presented JP with a wireframe model of a landmine victim.