A Khalifa City Women’s College student admired the decorated hands of an elderly resident of Sharjah’s Old People’s Home.
The Higher Colleges of Technology’s Khalifa City Women’s College recently sent students on a mission of care and kindness to residents of the Sharjah Old People’s Home.
College students who belong to the campus’s Red Crescent Club, together with two local staff members, made the long journey “to bring happiness,” according to one participant.
The students and staff overcame a difficult bus trip to spend over two hours visiting with elderly residents of the home. Although most elderly people in the UAE are cared for by their families, some people stay in care centers like the one in Sharjah because of medical conditions or other circumstances.
When the student group set out, they didn’t anticipate a bus trip that was “like riding a camel”. Because of mechanical difficulties, their bus could only travel very slowly before stopping completely on the side of the freeway to await a replacement vehicle. The group ended up arriving two hours later than they’d planned.
Asked how the group had responded to the delay, Amal Al Mazrouei, President of the Red Crescent Club, replied, “We were so excited to see the old people! We were not discouraged at all.”
The students’ interest in the elderly was sparked in part by their own families.
Amal said, “I have visited the Old People’s Home many times before, with my mother and my aunties.”
Another student, Salama, said she took henna to adorn female residents’ hands “because my granny likes to have henna. I thought, maybe the other old women are like her.”
Students also applied their knowledge of the older generation to choose suitable gifts for their hosts, including shaylas, perfume, soft blankets and warm socks, among other items.
Sitting together for nearly three hours, the residents and the students developed friendly relationships, joking together and planning future visits.
Salama visited one resident’s room, noting its cleanliness. “Her room was nice, with coffee she made herself. Going to her room was like going to my friend’s room.”
In spite of the travel required, many of the students showed eagerness to return at the nearest opportunity.
Dr. Jace Hargis, Director of the HCT’s Abu Dhabi Women’s College and Khalifa City Women’s College, noted: “In addition to their studies, our students show a genuine interest in strengthening the community. Visiting the elderly who have to be away from their families teaches our students to appreciate each stage of their lives and each member of their community.”
