Social media has become such a normal part of our lives that we rarely consider how powerful it is. So powerful, in fact, that it changed the life of Raimundo Arruda Sobrinho, a homeless man living in Brazil.
“Raimundo was born on Aug.1 1938, in rural Goiás. He arrived in São Paulo at the age of 23. He was a gardener and bookseller. He has been a street resident since 79′, in the same place for 18 years,” says his Facebook page. Dressed in black garbage bags, he sleeps underneath other sacks that he has hand-stitched until he makes a ‘hut’.”
One day in 2011, he met a woman named Shalla Monteiro. She was so impressed by his poetry, that she published the Facebook page to share Raimundo’s story and his talents with the world.
“Raimundo is an incredible person, who makes me see the world with his eyes, from an unimaginable perspective!” Shalla sings his praises on his Facebook page. “I hope to share a little bit of Raimundo and with that to be able to divulge his poems, which according to him, until today were not recognized.”
The Facebook page had an unexpected result, however. People began to notice Raimundo and his writing talents — and one of those people was his long-lost brother.
The brother posted on the Facebook page: “After 57-years, I was able to find you. When I arrived on the island, I found a man in the midst of garbage. Hairy and unshaven with no hygiene whatsoever, knowing this man was my brother,” Sobrinho’s brother shared. “I suggested he come live with me. My brothers are still alive. They’re all alive. He was the one missing to complete the emptiness we had.”
The power of social media and the kindness of others helped Raimundo to find his family and start a new life with them.
Watch “The Conditioned,” a short film documentary by filmmaker Michael Marantz in the video below.
