On May 10, 1993, was born into a kind of forsaken poverty.
In a city called São Gonçalo, outside of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Jhon grew up in an abandoned apartment without running water, energy, or a working toilet. That was the situation inside. Outside, in the bairro, prostitution, drug trafficking, and casualties surrounded him. Ever burned into Jhon’s mind was the time when he saw a person die right in front of him.
You can certainly see why others left this place behind. But, it was in this void that Jhon lived with his parents. Adding to the emptiness, Jhon had zero friends. His father was a bit of a handicap and a troublemaker, so the other kids steered clear of the Rolembergs—proof that ostracism can thrive anywhere.
“I’d always imagine myself getting out of that situation.”
As Jhon slunk into exclusion, two blessings emerged:
He was able to avoid the world of drugs and trafficking. He just never saw himself as being a part of that. “I’d always imagine myself getting out of that situation,” Jhon said.
His mind and dreams began to flourish as he started to draw.
As he continued to draw, the dreams became bigger and bigger.
“I dreamed of being an architect, and