Comunità di S.Egidio


Chiesa di Sant'Egidio - Roma




















 

by
Francesca Zuccari

 

The Struggle for Dignity

The balance of those who are forced to live on the street suffers from difficulty or impossibility of behaving in the customary way in everyday life. In fact changing dress, washing themselves, shaving: all this becomes a great problem. These are for all a symbol of the human dignity: to be dirty or badly dressed is tantamount to say that they have lost their dignity.

Therefore there are some who begin a daily struggle in order to maintain a dignified aspect, in between the opening hours of the few free public showers services and the hours of the centres of distribution of clothes. Someone succumbs during this hurdle race and neglects. The more isolation is felt the more they lose motivations to self care, even if they would still enjoy the possibility of taking advantage of the above facilities, if offered the opportunity.

Behind these seemingly brutalised people, who have given up self care which would be impossible for us to do, a reality shine: it is the reality of humiliated dignities, unexpressed wishes and disregarded hopes.