Juan Antonio from the province of Badajoz in Extremadura won 36m euros on the Euro Jackpot just over a year ago and he is convinced that God gave him it so that he could help others.

If you look at a photo of this 60-year-old man, you wouldn’t think that he is multimillionaire, apart from an expensive watch, he dresses as he always has; a cloth cap, a sleeveless jumper and jeans.

Juan Antonio gives generously to Cáritas (Catholic Church charity), to local food banks and other charities around Badajoz, such as a social kitchen, providing hot meals for the destitute. He bought a group of nuns a new cooker, fitted out their kitchen with all the pots they needed, tablecloths and cutlery for the dinning room, sheets and blankets for the dormitory and new underclothes for those that sleep there.

He takes care of the locals in the poorer part of town called Los Colorines – one of the most conflictive areas in the region, but it doesn’t stop there because he has an ambitious project brewing.

His idea is to set up a sort of supermarket (economato) where products will be sold at cost price. “We’re going to have prices that give zero euros in profit, some will have a 20% discount on cost price and other 40% or 50%… others we will just give away.,” he explained.

One of his projects is a day centre for the elderly in his home village and another is to replace all the windows in a semi-private school. Other projects, he said, he won’t mention out of respect for the people’s concerned privacy.

And I ask you, if this generous man can do all this with his 36m euros…. why can’t our politicians do more for their fellow citizens with the billions of euros that they move?

(News: Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain)