Let us spread smiles among the elderly
dubai — A few of the elderly residents at Al Mamzar Community Centre for Elderly got a pleasant surprise on Monday, in the form of a pampering session by a team of henna beauticians from the Dubaibased Rachna Salon.
“The main reason behind this initiative was to bring happiness and make them feel special. Everyone wants to look good and so do they,” said Rachna marketing manager Sheynaz Talwariya.
Among those who received a pampering was Saeeda, 65. “People may think we are old and won’t be willing, but that’s not the case, our face may look wrinkled but our spirit still feels young,” she said. “I forgot any and every kind of trouble after putting henna on my hands!”
dubai — The get-together of elderly at the Al Mamzar Community Centre for Elderly looked like a true family gathering with about 30 elderly in-house patients and out-patients in the lobby waiting for their pampering sessions. Armed with henna cones and smiles, the very arrival of the team lifted the mood of the residents of the centre.
The otherwise quieter lobby was transformed into a huge beauty centre as a team of beauticians from Dubai-based Rachna Salon surprised the senior citizens with free beauty services like massage, henna decoration, hair colouring and more.
Saeeda, 65, was excited about getting the henna design done on her hands. “Till today I get excited at the thought of getting henna done. People may think that we are old and won’t be willing, but that’s not the case, our face may look wrinkled but our spirit still feels young. I forgot any and every kind of trouble after putting henna on my hands!”
Flaunting her henna and gearing up to get her hair coloured, 70-yearold Suraiya Ali Ahmed said she has been in the UAE for 48 years but never had the joy of the parlour staff coming to pamper her at home. An outpatient at the centre, Suraiya comes to the centre everyday to get treatment for back pain. “I went to a parlour six months back to get henna done but today the parlour staff walked up to me to pamper me free of charge, and I feel so good.”
Though the pampering sessions were only for women, the men at the centre were excited to see the female counterparts getting makeovers and looking excited. “At least can we get a henna tattoo, if nothing,” said a male in-house member to the beauticians, jokingly.
Perfect timing
Fatim, 75, could not stop smiling as she got her hands decorated with henna. Her friend’s son was getting
You may provide them with home, food and caregivers, but what they actually need is someone to talk to, someone who can listen to their stories.” Dr Salwa Alsuwaidi, director at the Family Gathering Centre
married today and she was invited. “What perfect timing for these beauticians to come! Although I don’t put make up, henna is something that makes up for that. And these beauticians are putting it so well, I am loving it.”
It was a unique experience for Rachna staff members as it was the first time they had interacted with the elderly in the country. “It was soul stirring for me as I have never seen so many old people so full of life. The smiles that adorned their faces after we put henna and pampered them are so satisfying. I feel contented. I feel good that I could make them smile. All of them are so chatty and love talking that I felt I was sitting among little girls excited to put henna. And the appreciation we got from them just made our day.”
Talking about the initiative, Rachna’s marketing manager Sheynaz Talwariya said: “The main reason behind this initiative was to bring happiness and make them feel special. Everyone wants to look good and so do they. They may not have anyone to take them to parlour or may not be willing to take them for such pampering sessions. We, at Rachna, wanted to let them know that we care and that we are here to pamper them.
Also, I feel that more than them, it is we, who need them. They have such brilliant stories and advice for us from which we can learn so much. Their talks and experiences are priceless. And this is the message we want to give. All people should volunteer here and drop by to spend some time with them. Your time is the best gift.”