THEEBAN EXPERIENCE EXPERT
“My drug use cost me a lot. In the night shelter, I couldn’t find any peace. That’s why I became overworked and depressed. There is constant stress and negativity. There was little love around me, no empathy or compassion."
I have been living with my mother for the last month and a half, in a village near Nijmegen. It’s quieter. I have time to work on myself. When I am more stable, like now, I am very active and I want to do all kinds of things at once. I have to watch out for that. Taking care of myself, that’s something I always struggle with. I find it easy to make other people happy, but I know that it really starts with me.
I want to play sports again and find work. And I want to have a good contribution to society so that my children have a father they can be proud of.
HOW_IS_THEEBAN_
CURRENTLY_DOING_?
The photos, interviews, and film recordings were made during a period when Theeban was sometimes homeless. At the moment, Theeban is not receiving any help. He does have contact with his daughter, who visits him soon.
Theeban has diabetes, Crohn's disease, and colitis, which affect him a lot. But he has no energy and no desire to go to the hospital. It is too much of a hassle for him. Sometimes he doubts whether there is any point in living at all. He does his best but every time it just doesn’t work out. “Maybe everything has gone too fast”.
He is not on a housing waiting list, but he doesn’t really care where he lives. His mother’s house is cozy, but sometimes can be difficult. Theeban is looking forward to doing work where he can help others. He prefers helping people who are weaker in society. And he would like a job coach.
For a long time, Theeban was housed at the NuNN, a shelter run by RIBW. What is special about the NuNN is that the homeless people who come there manage the place themselves. In this way they mean a lot to other people who are also having a difficult time.
Homebass Foundation supports the RIBW and Nunn.