CNY haircuts for nursing home’s residents

New year, new look: Prakash chatting with a resident while he’s getting his hair cut by Hair Impression Academy students during the CNY charity programme.

GEORGE TOWN: Octogenarian Tye Kim Choo could not contain her excitement while getting a haircut for the coming Chinese New Year.

“I feel like a celebrity with everyone looking and taking photographs,” said the 86-year-old resident of Bethesda Senior Home on Barrack Road.

She told reporters that she came to the home about six months ago and was happy to have made many new friends.

“All my children are working overseas and they sent me here because I shouldn’t stay alone,” she said.

She and 14 other residents were given free haircuts by barbers brought there by Sunway Hotel yesterday.

The caretaker, Pastor V. Thevara­julu, said there were 20 residents in total at the home which was run from public donations.

“Most of them are staying here for free, they either have no one else or their children have abandoned them,” he said.

Sunway Hotel Georgetown general manager Prakash Kumaran said the event was a Chinese New year community project carried out with the help of students from Hair Impression Academy.

“The aim of the haircuts was to give these senior citizens a tidy look for the new year while the luncheon was to give them joy and a hearty meal,” he said.

Prakash handed out ang pow packets and mandarin oranges to the residents after lunch.