Remember the afro, the natural hairstyle forever synonymous with the “black is beautiful” movement championed by African-Americans in the 1960s? A group in Ivory Coast is trying to persuade black women to turn the page on their expensive hair-straighteners, extensions and wigs and go natural instead.

Blending “natural” with “happy” to produce “Nappy”, the group calls itself Nappys de Babi — Babi being a nickname for Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s bustling economic capital. Founded more than two years ago, the support group now boasts some 2,400 members, meeting every two months in Abidjan’s trendy Cocody district to share advice, tips, and practical help about keeping their hair natural.