Miguel joined Ruach in May. His mother is 80 years old, and his sisters were not able or willing to help his mother looking after him. So his mother asked whether Miguel could join our community.
Miguel is 49 and after a period of gradually getting to know each other, he has become a 
core member. Miguel talks a little, can dress himself, can eat without help, and is quite good at showering himself. But in other areas he is very passive due to a lack of stimulation in his past. So we tried sending him to our Activities Centre. He’s taken there by a taxi driver-friend. On the way back I collect him on foot, a 15 minute walk which gives him some good physical exercise too. At the Club he did better than expected, although individual attention from the assistants is important (see picture). He really has taken to making ‘piñatas’. He now attends the club three afternoons a week.
He does not see much of his mother, who only occasionally visits him. We had arranged that he would spend one weekend a month with his mother, but in practice the communication is poor and sometimes a weekend visit needs to be cancelled. His sisters who also live in Juigalpa have never visited him. It is difficult for us to gauge how this affects him, but he is fairly steady in his moods.
We do notice that he feels at home. He seeks contact and enjoys an embrace. We are now encouraging him to start helping us laying and clearing the table, and we see progress. It’s great to see that attention and stimulation bear fruit!