A note from KristiAnus
Monday Feb 20, 2023, in Amsterdam, Netherlands
“From 2004 to 2007 I was homeless and without income. I had to cycle to a horribly far-away place every week to collect my homeless benefit; fifty euros a week. Also, I had to report myself every week at the heavily guarded ‘Homeless Desk’ at the Singel – they were afraid of weapons at the time. It was always a bit creepy. I didn’t have a telephone. At the goddamned Salvation Army, well you could make a phone call there, but they would always immediately link a Jesus story to it. Sometimes it was my only option, so sometimes I would go. But sleeping there… I never did that. Fuck ‘tying’ religion to aid… It is almost like what those gruesome missionaries did in our world’s evil history. Distrust them, with their so-called unctuous intentions. Do not worry about me though, I’m good now. But the world, Amsterdam, and Dutch politics could really do a bit more for homeless people. I think. Often I sat on a bench in the Westerpark and thought: that sun on my head, it shines for me too.”
Words by KristiAnus van der Waag, photo by Sas Schilten
///////////////////////////////
