Ronaldo
Miranda:
“Yes, the work
we do is tiring,
but extremely
rewarding”
The president of
Spiritist
Foundation João
de Freitas, in
the Brazilian
city of Juiz de
Fora, talks
about the
challenge of
leading such an
important
institution in
the local
Spiritist
Movement
 |
Ronaldo Miranda
(photo),
from Juiz de
Fora, in Minas
Gerais state, is
the president of
João de Freitas,
a Spiritist
Foundation
created on
February 22nd
1934 as a home
for the elderly.
The Foundation
has 40 houses –
each one with
living room,
kitchen,
bathroom and two
bedrooms. People
over the age of
60 are allowed
to live there,
|
|
as our
interviewee
explains:
|
Ronaldo, first
let us know a
bit about
yourself.
I was born in
Juiz de Fora in
April 1955. I
became a
Spiritist at the
age of 15. I
joined Casa
Espirita, a
group in the
city centre, as
a volunteer and
later began to
work here at the
Foundation. That
was a long time
ago. In March
2012 I became
the president of
the Foundation,
after someone
who was due to
take over the
post had to give
up due to
personal
reasons. I often
say this is my
second home.
Everyone here is
like family,
true friends. I
was 18 when I
joined the
Foundation.
|
Is it purely a
Spiritist
institution? |
Yes, it is
purely Spiritist
and it does not
get any
financial
assistance from
the government
to cover its
operational
costs. We
survive through
donations and
contributions
from some of the
residents who
can afford and
pay 60% of the
minimum wage in
Brazil, or about
420 reais (US$
200) per month.
What are the
criteria for
admission?
They need to be
at least 60
years old and
have a monthly
income of up to
two minimum
wages per month.
They either come
through the
National Health
System or come
to us directly.
The Foundation
can take up to
80 elderly
people. We have
now 78 residents
here.
How is a typical
day at the
Foundation for
the residents?
We have a common
area, where
people meet to
chat, to play
games, to watch
television, play
the piano and
read. We have
specific arts
and crafts,
physiotherapy,
computer
sessions and a
number of other
activities. In
the Foundation,
we also host the
Spiritist Group
Manoel Philomeno
de Miranda. It
does not impose
Spiritism on
anyone, but it
offers everyone
valuable
information
about the
Teachings. The
Spiritist Group
regularly
organises
parties, which
are very popular
with the
residents here.
On Sundays,
friends and
relatives come
to visit.
|
Do they miss
their homes and
families? |
They normally
see the
Foundation as
their home now
and do not think
about returning
to their
original homes.
We have now an
unusual case:
one of our
residents has
returned home,
but to look
after her
45-year-old son
who has a
drinking
problem. Most of
our residents
are aged between
75 and 80. They
bring their life
stories and
share with
everyone, in a
very enriching
experience for
all.
Do they help in
the kitchen,
cleaning etc?
No, they are not
allowed. All the
work is done by
our employees.
We have
volunteer
workers, but
they cannot look
after all the
duties,
especially
cleaning,
maintenance and
security. We
have now 38
staff in our
payroll. And
about 100
volunteers help
us with a number
of activities
and jobs.
Are the
residents
allowed to go
out whenever
they want?
They must leave
after 7am and
return before
7pm. Now we are
setting up a
system to
register the
movement of
residents, when
they go out and
return. Last
year we had a
few scares, with
people who felt
unwell in the
streets and
someone who was
nearly run over.
Now we are
trying to
establish where
they are going
so we can try to
locate them if
needed.
Does the
Spiritist
Foundation João
de Freitas do
any work to
disseminate the
Teachings?
We have a public
meeting on
Sundays, at
10am, with an
average audience
of 100 people.
We run at the
same time a
course for
children and
another group
for teenagers
and young
people. Added to
all that, we
have the events
of the Spiritist
Group Manel
Philomeno de
Miranda, on
Wednesdays.
Do the elderly
at the
Foundation have
a regular
opportunity to
meet the
children and
teenagers?
Yes. The
children in the
evangelisation
course visit the
residents once a
month.
Thank you for
this interview
and please leave
us with your
final words.
I get very
emotional when I
talk about the
Foundation. I am
here moved by
pure emotion, by
the heart. To
direct an
institution like
this, you need a
professional,
experienced
manager. The
work is very
tiring indeed
and demands some
skills and
actions that
cannot be
addressed by
good feelings
only. Our
mandate expires
in March 2014.
The current
board sometimes
considers the
idea of carrying
on, but
sometimes thinks
it would be
better to pass
the job on to
others.
Everything we do
here is really
remarkable. I
tell everyone
that the work is
very tiring
indeed, but
extremely
rewarding. The
benefit we get
is difficult to
be measured.
Perhaps only the
Spiritual
Benefactors can
assess it. It is
a great joy to
come in here
aware that some
80 people live
in this place
and rely on our
decisions on
their behalf. It
is a great
feeling and I
always advise
other people to
take on similar
tasks. We can
all make it. All
we need to do is
to share the
duties, to take
things step by
step. As Allan Kardec said, we
must love
ourselves even
more: that is
the only way of
doing a good
job. Let us
progress through
love, all of
us.
