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I Photographed A Series Featuring People Who Live In Constant Solitude
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I Photographed A Series Featuring People Who Live In Constant Solitude

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The region of Trás os Montes in Portugal, which in English means “behind the mountains”, is known for villages with less than 10 inhabitants. There are cases of only 1 person residing in the whole village.

Those little villages have mostly elderly population as young people left a long time ago in search of a better life. So many of the residents continue the same lifestyle their grandparents had for years.

Many of those villages are untouched by technology; television and cell phones are a rarity. People survive mainly from agricultural production and sheep farming. During winter, these elderly people spend days or even weeks without leaving the house because of the cold. But the greatest obstacle they have to deal with on a daily basis is loneliness. 

I joined a young team of the PII project (Proximity to the Isolated Elderly) that regularly visits seniors who are living alone. The goal of this project is to ward off the loneliness of these people and improve their quality of life.

The people I’ve met have fantastic stories that I could listen to for hours.

More info: Facebook

Gracinda

Gracinda lost almost all of her family in an accident. The only daughter she has left is currently in prison. Her brother has cancer. Despite all the tragedy and difficulties, she continues to live in a village with 6 inhabitants in total and smile. The only thing that helps her to cope with everything is faith. “These little saints are what keep me alive, if it wasn’t for them, I would have committed suicide,” – says Mrs. Gracinda while showing a holy statue from her huge collection.

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The team that visits Mrs. Gracinda is like a family to her. She calls them doctors but doesn’t explain why. Though, when they told Mrs. Gracinda that they are not doctors, she called them angels.

Marcellin

Mr. Marcellin spent a lot of time traveling and searching for better jobs. He also kissed many women until he found the love of his life. But she ran away with all of his fortune leaving him with nothing.

Now, he lives at his mother’s house and spends days by the window with his cigarettes and a glass of wine. He has a slow life as he has had enough of living at a fast pace. Mr. Marcellin lives in a village with approximately 30 other residents and says that he is happy alone.

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Loneliness is his best friend and they get on pretty well.

“Today 5 people visited me. One of them was a beautiful girl. I wish I was 20 years old again,” – he said.

Sezerindo

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Sezerindo has a difficult name to pronounce. Other than that, he is a shepherd who has never seen the sea.

He lives alone in the company of his sheep and knows each one of them. Mr. Sezerindo says he works every day but he is happy living between the mountains, and his only concern is old boots that need to be repaired.

Felizberto

Mr. Felisberto lives in an isolated house in a village of 30 people. The other nearest village is 17 kilometers away.

Felisberto’s daughter is physically-troubled, and the only thing he asks of God is to take him to heaven to ease the great pain he feels in his heart.

Serafim

Mr. Serafim Machado, once known as a strong and hardworking man respected for his expertise in farming, now leads a poor life together with his youngest son and six animals in a house that has nothing but broken windows.

In his prime years, Serafim had a young wife – 30 years younger than him. Yet, as he got older and strength abandoned him, she left him and their two children for a younger man, and she took everything she possibly could.

Dear Grandmother

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Teresa (28) visits her grandmother almost every day. Her grandmother has an Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a nursing home but she sometimes recognizes her granddaughter. Teresa wants to take care of her grandmother because she took care of her for her entire life.

Many elderly people are forgotten by their families. They live for months or even years without a single visit. The elderly people I spoke to said that loneliness kills them faster.

Maria

Mrs. Maria (75) is one and only resident in her village. There are hundreds of villages with only few elderly inhabitants living in isolation in the region of Tras Os Montes. Their lifestyle resembles the 50’s.

Maria’s husband died recently. Dogs are the only companions Maria has. They help her in the fight against loneliness. And this little puppy is the newest member of the household.

Happy Hour

It’s a happy hour of the day for this woman, as her daughter is visiting her at a nursing home. Others spend days, months or years without seeing their family members.

Despite having Alzheimer’s disease, she often recognizes her daughter.

Alice

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In this shot, a 92-year-old Alice tries to find a photograph of her young self.

She lives in a village which has about 10 inhabitants. Because of the cold winter, she is trapped inside the house and this makes her feel lonelier than ever.

Alice’s husband died young, so she raised all of the eight children alone. She has so many amazing stories that I could talk to her for hours.

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onemessylady avatar
Aunt Messy
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Beware lumping all old people into the "sweetie" category. If someone is a nasty young person, they are NOT going to improve with age. In fact, they get worse as they get older. ...///... My grandmother was a psychopath. If she'd been smarter, she'd have been a serial killer. I am NOT kidding here. I've seen her kill small animals for fun. ...///... My mother finally had to have her mother's driver's licence taken away because the woman was stone deaf and had such severe macular degeneration that she only had peripheral vision. ...///... Her doctor sent her to a psychiatrist who told my mother that he would NEVER permit my grandmother into his building again. When she went to a nursing home (suffering dementia, which did not improve her character), NO ONE would go into her room alone. A priest stopped in one day, then phoned my mother and told her he would never set foot in the same room again.

rikardoroman avatar
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. But this reality is different from yours. These elderly people are from Portugal and not from Italy .. You are not there, so do not judge, just because you had a bad experience with an elderly person. These people, built the houses with great difficulty. They have no money to live in nursing homes.

Load More Replies...
sophialaporte avatar
All With Heart
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother visits her sick mother once a week and we always make sure to call her and invite her over on special occasions. It breaks my heart to see so many people neglecting those who raised them and made them the person they are.

rikardoroman avatar
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes abandonment is voluntary. People just ignore these old people. I do not know why! They are people where evil does not reside, do not bind to material goods. They just want to talk for a while. And it's so good to talk to them.

Load More Replies...
olivergloxin avatar
Olli Glx
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think lonelines is the scourge of all elderly people. I witness it at my work as well. Loneliness is to many worse than illness, poverty or sometimes even dying.

rikardoroman avatar
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You're right. The loneliness of days, kills people slowly inside. Then there are people who live well with loneliness, but most do not. Some die shortly after the husband or wife has died.

Load More Replies...
akinsplaymail avatar
Akinwale
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Touching stories. Loving one another changes a lot of things for the best.

jeanvandermerwe79 avatar
Jean van der Merwe
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for this beautiful photo essay. It is courageous to tell the stories of people whom time has left behind. I would love to see and read more of your work.

rikardoroman avatar
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

thank you for your words. There are many people living alone in remote places in this region. Unfortunately, the project team can not help them all. You can follow me on my facebook page or instagram. I sometimes post photos of this project. Thank you

Load More Replies...
lanza130 avatar
Melody Lanzatella
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I must say...I am and introvert and I'm agoraphobic. I could live like this with ease to be honest. I am most comfortable when alone.

anne-karina avatar
Anne
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My thoughts too! I love being alone. As long as I have my dog.. I'll never be lonely. I'd happily move here (and help the older, if needed)

Load More Replies...
siennabatiste avatar
Sienna Batiste
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandfather was a sweet person and I never got to tell him farewell. This reminds me of him

leannemariedantoni avatar
Agnes Jekyll
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for documenting their lives. I'm sure they appreciated your attention.

kfidei avatar
GoddessOdd
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In these days, I think loneliness affects a great many people, young and old. I am a solitary person by nature, and very rarely feel lonely, but I have friends who are the exact opposite, who need constant companionship to feel safe and loved. I spent several years with my therapy dog, visiting hospital patients, nursing home residents and shut ins. Even the people on my end of the solitary spectrum, who relish time alone, appreciated conversation, and they all enriched my life in one way or another. I think that for those who can, spending time visiting even one isolated person, young or old, will greatly enrich both lives.

brigittaswart avatar
Brigitta Swart
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish these photos were in colour, they seem so cold in black and white. I wish I could bring some relief into their lives. We need to take better care of old people.

jessiezhang avatar
Jessie Zhang
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so sad after reading these descriptions and looking at these sad pictures......

katie-trondsen avatar
KT Trondsen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes people are alone for good reason.....not all are as sweet as they appear my dear. I have witnessed horrible acts committed and they are now elderly and claim they have done nothing wrong and wonder why their children "abandoned" them.

colettedionne avatar
UnicornHuman
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A series of humbling pictures that made me rethink all our lives.

jerrylaon avatar
julien
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Portuguese are hard working people with strong family ties, they are very friendly people too. I live in France and I know many portuguese here. I really like them. these cases are not unique to Portugal, same here in rural France but that doesn't mean they're all lonely and unhappy. " Mr. Marcellin lives in a village with approximately 30 other residents and says that he is happy alone. " " .Loneliness is his best friend and they get on pretty well." Most of these people spent their whole life there and don't want to move : you take that away from them and they die soon.

hilary_jones avatar
Hilary Jones
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for sharing these beautiful and moving images and stories. I will follow your beautiful work on Facebook!

teresa_oliveira_alves12 avatar
Teresa Alves
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amazing! In which village WAs thins taken? I'm also from trás os montes!

vonskippy avatar
Vonskippy
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Logan's run had the right idea, just a tad quick on the "best used by date" for humans. Instead of 30, 60 would be a much better date. That would solve so many of the worlds problems (energy, food, water, pollution, money, healthcare, open space, etc etc), yet there's not a politician on the planet with the balls to bring it up for consideration.

cocora-embra avatar
Coco
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

funny how there are about evil women running away and leaving a poor man in poverty, but no mention at all of any evil men....

abe26 avatar
Abe
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I think lonelines is the scourge of all elderly people. I witness it at my work as well. Loneliness is to many worse than illness, poverty or sometimes even dying.

onemessylady avatar
Aunt Messy
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Beware lumping all old people into the "sweetie" category. If someone is a nasty young person, they are NOT going to improve with age. In fact, they get worse as they get older. ...///... My grandmother was a psychopath. If she'd been smarter, she'd have been a serial killer. I am NOT kidding here. I've seen her kill small animals for fun. ...///... My mother finally had to have her mother's driver's licence taken away because the woman was stone deaf and had such severe macular degeneration that she only had peripheral vision. ...///... Her doctor sent her to a psychiatrist who told my mother that he would NEVER permit my grandmother into his building again. When she went to a nursing home (suffering dementia, which did not improve her character), NO ONE would go into her room alone. A priest stopped in one day, then phoned my mother and told her he would never set foot in the same room again.

rikardoroman avatar
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. But this reality is different from yours. These elderly people are from Portugal and not from Italy .. You are not there, so do not judge, just because you had a bad experience with an elderly person. These people, built the houses with great difficulty. They have no money to live in nursing homes.

Load More Replies...
sophialaporte avatar
All With Heart
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother visits her sick mother once a week and we always make sure to call her and invite her over on special occasions. It breaks my heart to see so many people neglecting those who raised them and made them the person they are.

rikardoroman avatar
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes abandonment is voluntary. People just ignore these old people. I do not know why! They are people where evil does not reside, do not bind to material goods. They just want to talk for a while. And it's so good to talk to them.

Load More Replies...
olivergloxin avatar
Olli Glx
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think lonelines is the scourge of all elderly people. I witness it at my work as well. Loneliness is to many worse than illness, poverty or sometimes even dying.

rikardoroman avatar
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You're right. The loneliness of days, kills people slowly inside. Then there are people who live well with loneliness, but most do not. Some die shortly after the husband or wife has died.

Load More Replies...
akinsplaymail avatar
Akinwale
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Touching stories. Loving one another changes a lot of things for the best.

jeanvandermerwe79 avatar
Jean van der Merwe
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for this beautiful photo essay. It is courageous to tell the stories of people whom time has left behind. I would love to see and read more of your work.

rikardoroman avatar
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

thank you for your words. There are many people living alone in remote places in this region. Unfortunately, the project team can not help them all. You can follow me on my facebook page or instagram. I sometimes post photos of this project. Thank you

Load More Replies...
lanza130 avatar
Melody Lanzatella
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I must say...I am and introvert and I'm agoraphobic. I could live like this with ease to be honest. I am most comfortable when alone.

anne-karina avatar
Anne
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My thoughts too! I love being alone. As long as I have my dog.. I'll never be lonely. I'd happily move here (and help the older, if needed)

Load More Replies...
siennabatiste avatar
Sienna Batiste
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandfather was a sweet person and I never got to tell him farewell. This reminds me of him

leannemariedantoni avatar
Agnes Jekyll
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for documenting their lives. I'm sure they appreciated your attention.

kfidei avatar
GoddessOdd
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In these days, I think loneliness affects a great many people, young and old. I am a solitary person by nature, and very rarely feel lonely, but I have friends who are the exact opposite, who need constant companionship to feel safe and loved. I spent several years with my therapy dog, visiting hospital patients, nursing home residents and shut ins. Even the people on my end of the solitary spectrum, who relish time alone, appreciated conversation, and they all enriched my life in one way or another. I think that for those who can, spending time visiting even one isolated person, young or old, will greatly enrich both lives.

brigittaswart avatar
Brigitta Swart
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish these photos were in colour, they seem so cold in black and white. I wish I could bring some relief into their lives. We need to take better care of old people.

jessiezhang avatar
Jessie Zhang
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so sad after reading these descriptions and looking at these sad pictures......

katie-trondsen avatar
KT Trondsen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sometimes people are alone for good reason.....not all are as sweet as they appear my dear. I have witnessed horrible acts committed and they are now elderly and claim they have done nothing wrong and wonder why their children "abandoned" them.

colettedionne avatar
UnicornHuman
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A series of humbling pictures that made me rethink all our lives.

jerrylaon avatar
julien
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Portuguese are hard working people with strong family ties, they are very friendly people too. I live in France and I know many portuguese here. I really like them. these cases are not unique to Portugal, same here in rural France but that doesn't mean they're all lonely and unhappy. " Mr. Marcellin lives in a village with approximately 30 other residents and says that he is happy alone. " " .Loneliness is his best friend and they get on pretty well." Most of these people spent their whole life there and don't want to move : you take that away from them and they die soon.

hilary_jones avatar
Hilary Jones
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you for sharing these beautiful and moving images and stories. I will follow your beautiful work on Facebook!

teresa_oliveira_alves12 avatar
Teresa Alves
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amazing! In which village WAs thins taken? I'm also from trás os montes!

vonskippy avatar
Vonskippy
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Logan's run had the right idea, just a tad quick on the "best used by date" for humans. Instead of 30, 60 would be a much better date. That would solve so many of the worlds problems (energy, food, water, pollution, money, healthcare, open space, etc etc), yet there's not a politician on the planet with the balls to bring it up for consideration.

cocora-embra avatar
Coco
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

funny how there are about evil women running away and leaving a poor man in poverty, but no mention at all of any evil men....

abe26 avatar
Abe
Community Member
5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I think lonelines is the scourge of all elderly people. I witness it at my work as well. Loneliness is to many worse than illness, poverty or sometimes even dying.

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