Cuimhnímis le Chéile

Thosaigh Maria Gasol Boncompte ag déanamh obair dheonach i nÁras Ghaoth Dobhair 3 bliana ó shin agus dhírigh sí ar chuid de na daoine a raibh galar Alzheimer orthu. Thug sí faoi deara go gcaitheann siad cuid mhór ama ina suí agus de thairbhe gur maith léi a bheith ag tarraingt pictiúir, bheartaigh sí iad a sceitseáil.

“Bhí mé ag iarradh díriú ar na léargais a fuair mé, corr uair gealáin bheaga: a gcuid miongháirí, corr ghreann, an dóigh inar tháinig meanma iontu le ceol, an dóigh inar las a gcuid aghaidheanna suas nuair a bhíodh páiste óg thart san áit”.

Ba é seo an chéad ruathar a thug Maria isteach i rannpháirtíocht na healaíne pobail agus thosaigh sí mar sin ar an togra ealaíne seo. Fuair sí i dteagmháil le teaghlaigh an othair chun an smaoineamh a bhí aici a mhíniú daofa agus lena gcead a fháil. Fosta, bhí sí ag iarraidh foghlaim faoina saol agus thosaigh sí a chruinniú eolais ar an mhuintir a raibh grá acu díofa: cá leis a raibh siad cosúil, a stair teaghlaigh, cad a rinne siad agus cad é a thug fios a ngnó daofa sular éirigh siad tinn – &rl. Bhí Maria ábalta grianghraif teaghlaigh agus cuimhní a fháil agus a chur le chéile mar fhíseán gairid. Tá freagairt agus aiseolas na dteaghlaigh rannpháirteach go hiontach ar fad agus is mar gheall ar an chuidiú a thug sibhse atá an taispeántas seo ann.

Leagann an togra seo béim ar dhá chineál rannpháirtí: go speisialta na daoine atá sna pictiúir agus ansin na teaghlaigh a thabhrann tacaíocht dá ngaolta. ‘Sé príomhaidhm an duine muinteartha ná cúram laethúil a thabhairt don duine a bhfuil grá acu dó nó di agus ag freastail ar a gcuid riachtanais mothúchana, fisiceacha agus intinne agus is é seo iarracht agus íobairt chróga. Ón togra seo, d’fhoghlaim muid go bhfaigheadh teaghlaigh i bhfad níos mó tairbhe as cúram faoisimh agus tacaíocht.

Tá na hothair a dtugtar cuntas orthu anseo sa Ghailearaí ina mbaill aonair, ilchineálach agus sainiúil go hiomlán dár bpobal. Cé go mbfhéidir go bhfuil á gcuimhní caillte acu, cuireann an togra seo i gcuimhne dúinne á bpearsanacht, á spéiseanna, á dteaghlaigh níos leitheadaí agus á saol roimhe seo. D’obair gach grúpa teaghlaigh atá anseo ar mhaithe leis na cuimhní iontacha seo a choinneáil beo.

Cuimhnímis le chéile…….

Let’s Remember Together

Maria Gasol Boncompte began volunteering in the Aras Gaoth Dobhair 3 years go and focused in on some residents with Alzheimer’s disease. She noticed that they spend a lot of time sitting and as she liked to draw she decided to begin sketching them.

“I wanted to focus on the glimpses I got, sometimes a spark: their smiles, the odd joke, how they cheered up with music, the way their faces lit up when a young child was around”.

This was Maria’s first foray in to community art engagement and so she began to develop this art project. She set about contacting the patient’s families to explain her idea and get their permissions. She also wanted to learn about their lives and so began gathering information on their loved ones: what they were like, their family history, what they did and what made them tick before their illness – etc. Maria was able to avail of family photographs and memories that she complied in to a short video piece. The reactions and feedback from the participating families has been wonderful and your contribution has made this exhibition possible.

This project highlights that there are two types of participants: specifically the people portrayed in the portraits and secondly the families that support their relatives. The relative’s primary focus is the day-to-day care of their loved one and attending to their emotional, physical and mental needs and this is truly a heroic endeavor and sacrifice. We have learnt through this project that families would genuinely benefit with improved respite and support.

The patients portrayed here in An Gailearaí are individual, diverse and wholly unique members of our community. Whilst they may have been robbed of their memories, this project reminds us of their personalities, their interests, their wider family’s and their earlier lives. Each family group represented here has worked to keep these wonderful memories alive.

Let’s remember together ……….