Raimundo Arrudo Sobrihno has lived on the streets of Brazil for 35 years. To maintain his sanity, the 77-year-old former book dealer and Gardner writes poetry and short stories even though no one would read them.
As is the case with many writers, Raimundo hoped his words could someday be published so they might inspire others. But would anyone take a chance on a homeless author? No. Probably not. Little did he know how life would step in with an unexpected surprise.
At 23, Raimundo moved from the countryside where he was born to São Paulo. A dictatorship rattled the country in the latter part of the 1970’s, causing him to become homeless. Despite his situation, he didn’t want to lose his passion for the written word.
The locals never understood why he’d hold so tightly to the scruffy pieces of paper in his possession. They didn’t know they contained poetry and stories – Raimundo’s passion and heart on the page.
Raimundo’s life forever changed back in 2011 when he met a woman named Shalla. Shalla spotted him sitting on the ground pen in hand, surrounded by sheets of paper. Her curiosity piqued, she had to learn what he was doing.
He honored Shalla one day by presenting her with one of his poems. She was stunned by what she read. She took Raimundo’s incredible gift and decided to share it with the world. She created a Facebook page that has since accumulated over 100,000 followers.
What’s even more miraculous than Shalla’s kindness in sharing his poetry is Raimundo’s words allowed for a miracle to take place in his life. When his poetry hit the internet, he received tremendous support. People tried to find him and give him gifts and encouragement for his work. One follower of the page was Raimundo’s missing brother.
He contacted Raimundo immediately and invited him to move into his home. After 35 years of living on the streets, this extraordinarily creative man finally had a place to rest his head in safety. He was able to shower, shave, and adequately groom himself. He had food to eat. And better still, he was reunited with his brother.
The video below is from the documentary, The Conditioned. You can learn more about Raimundo, the once-homeless poet, who with the help of one woman, had his dreams come true by having his work published, found his brother and a new home.