The eldest of eight children, in his childhood he had to take care of his siblings, exercising the responsibility of his parents, since his mother worked a lot and his father often ended up in the hospital and physically and psychologically abused his mother and children. He, who was a police lieutenant and had contacts in the military world, tried to find a way for Juan to work in the Army and live at home. However, Juan was fortunate that the Parachute Brigade was looking for a volunteer. That offer was the door to escape the hostile environment in which he was living. Finally, he was accepted and left home, which is what he wanted after the hardships he had endured there.
He shows me a picture of the coat of arms of the Parachute Brigade with the motto "triumph or die". In the picture, next to the shield, you can see a notebook where a story of his is written. Because writing and telling stories, something he was already doing at the age of 14, has always been his passion.
During his long career in the military, he traveled to places like Corsica, Djibouti, Kenya, Western Sahara and Brazil. When he returned to Spain, instead of going back to Madrid, he decided to go to Barcelona, because he did not want to see his family, nor did they want to see him. In Barcelona he rented an apartment and wandered around until he had little money left. Then he returned to the capital, where he worked as a waiter and met his wife. He says she was complicated, but also recognizes that he was impatient. They lived in constant tension. "One day, my son, at the age of 9, caught me wrong."says Juan. So he decided to leave home. He was so depressed that he was left out of the game. And, at first, he didn't know of any soup kitchens or other places where he could be taken in.
He says that his military experience helped him through the hell of begging for twelve years. The psychological training he received in the combat centers through which he passed prepared him for any adversity, as he "you have to keep in mind that on a day-to-day basis you are risking your life".he says. He adds that "there is no soldier in special forces who is aware that tomorrow he or she is still going to live". He also believes that the fact that he has not fallen into alcoholism or drug addiction is due to the training he received as a soldier and his lucidity.
During his life on the street, he was cared for by RAIS FoundationAmong other services, such as helping him with his minimum income, he was provided with psychologists and psychiatrists who were surprised by his good health, despite the fact that he was on the street. "When you fall to the bottom of the well, you stop suffering, because nothing that happens to you hurts you. You can't feel anymore. You know it's going to cost you a hundred times more to come up than it took you to go down. Once you get out of the pit you have to know how to support yourself. To your family and friends you've always been in the well. And in any argument you have with them, your controversies come up, reminding you of your past shortcomings."he explains. "The 80 % of people who come out of the well do so because of the people who help them. I didn't want anything, I lived well as I lived. They gave me snacks and clothes, and I was content with that. I didn't want to face a normal life, because I had lost my family, everything. But, I saw the enthusiasm of the people who were by my side to help me get out, and I did it.". And he adds that "From there, I started to take several courses, such as computer science or radio announcing. Besides, I have a very good memory"..
A friend of his was receiving help from Bokatasan NGO that distributes sandwiches to beggars. He proposed to Juan to go to a Christmas dinner organized by this association. Juan accepted, and in this way he got to know Bokatas. When this NGO opened the Tandem CenterHe began to collaborate there. He feels a lot of satisfaction because he fights so that other people living on the street can get out of their difficult situation.
He often gives talks in schools to explain what homeless people are like and the problems they have. He shows me a photo in which all the children are looking at him as he speaks, none of them distracted. He admits that people who listen to him tell him that he has an excellent rhetoric and that he is a committed man when it comes to helping others.
