People we are helping -
Emanuel had a 5 year history of mental health disease making him violent and aggressive. Prior to contact with FM staff he would be locked in the house most of the day and night in a room with no window and no access to a toilet. His mother and sister were afraid of him, as were the neighbours. He would talk to himself all night, so no one could sleep. He was compulsive about washing (using the water mother carries to grow spinach!) and used to go outside wearing nothing (which is culturally totally unacceptable) because he, like the rest of the family had insufficient clothing.
The family would only get one meal a day and were therefore all underweight. Emanuel often became aggressive because he had no food and no way to express himself.
FM were able to organise:
- medication for Emanuel and other members of the family
- immediate food supplies that his mother could use to ‘bribe’ him to take the antipsychotic drugs
- visitors for Emanuel to help him learn some social skills to get back into ‘society’
- some extra land for Emanuel’s mother to grow crops on
How is Emanuel now?
His treatment menas that now he is much less violent and aggressive. He has stopped beating his mother. He sleeps at night without talking to himself. He now wears clothes.
How are Emanuel’s family doing?
The family are obviously happier. They are no longer so isolated from society. His teenage sister is now able to go to school. FM is exploring ways that the family can raise income for themselves and become more self sufficient.
Emanuel's mother
Emanuel