Adriano - House 1
Adriano is a twin. He and his twin plus another two younger siblings came to us from out of the bush. The mother has had 8 children. Since the birth of the last one, the father has died from blood clots in his leg going to his head or heart. Following this the mother has shacked up with another younger man. They are both alcoholics, unemployed, violent and extremely negligent.
The social workers on the case stated that the mother is psychologically unbalanced. She has threatened all authorities involved in her case and is aggressive. With her children this aggressiveness is both physical and emotional. The children find it normal to be beaten by the both of them.
The shack where all of them slept in the same room is located on the edge of the river that cuts through the outskirts of our town. It is extremely unhygienic and unlivable according to the authorities with rats running around the stove top among pots containing old food. If we were to only focus on the poorness of the situation, this could be helped. In this case the mother refuses treatment and help. Any financial aid is wasted on booze and cigarettes.
The adults are in a drunken stupor most of the time. The live in boy friend often knocks food out of the children’s hands. Many times his violence is so forceful that the children run away screaming for help. They have witnessed sexual copulation between the adults many times, as well as aggressive behavior between them as they attack each other with large knives and machetes. The mother has threatened to burn down the shack many times. This did happen a few weeks ago and now they are under a canvas in the bush and with no bath facilities of any kind.
When Adriano came we learned that he hardly went to school. He and his brother are slightly slow so they go to a school for the exceptional. They often begged at streetlights and practiced small time theft. Adriano came to us extremely dirty. He takes a strong medicine for his nerves. However unlike his brother he takes smaller doses and is more active as well as talkative and likes to smile. Adriano likes being with us. He cuddled up to the house father the first night on the sofa watching TV and asked him if he could stay. The immediate challenge we have is to find clothes that will fit him. He has a very thick build and we are having a hard time finding pants that will fit him. He and his twin were used to fighting since aggression was the only thing they knew. They are in different houses. What we have seen up till now are two boys who desperately need and want love and a good parental model. Adriano is drinking it in. His birthday is April 18, 1993. He is in the group home of Eloi and Eva.
2008 Update: Adriano is fifteen years old and attends a special school. His chore at home is to set the table for mealtimes. He is strong and also enjoys doing heavy work. In his spare time he likes to play soccer and bake. He is loving and very cooperative with his house mother but often has spats with his COL brothers. He attends Sunday School and the adolescents’ group at church and is growing in his spiritual life. It is not clear whether or not he has decided to ask Jesus into his life, but he has changed a great deal lately.
Please pray that Adriano will no longer need to take the strong medication that he is on, and that his faith in God will strengthen.
2009 Update Adriano no longer needs the medication that he used to need for his nerves. He is very helpful around the house but can be stubborn at times and struggles with learning difficulties. He would like prayer for his biological family.
Birthday: April 18, 1993
Photo: Jul 2010
Sister: Adriana
Brothers: Juliano Da Silva, Ari