It is a story of how ONE PERSON made a difference in my mother’s life by teaching her a trade.

My mother was 13 when her mother passed away during childbirth, and 17th when her father had a fall when fixing the windmill at their very progressive farm and passed away, leaving 13 children orphans; the oldest was 19 years old.

My mother’s oldest brother tried to get the oldest girls into arranged marriages. However, my mother objected and said …

“No! God gave me two arms, and I. Will learn a profession and provide for myself!”

A WOMAN took pity on my mother and decided to help her by teaching her embroidery.

After that, she left the farm and went to the big city for work. Someone from a Church she visited helped her find a job as a wedding dress seamstress at a small boutique in Copacabana, RJ.

She could sleep at the boutique until she could afford to rent a place. She made money and helped her younger sister flee an arranged marriage and join her at the boutique. They slept on the floor until they both could rent an apartment.

ONE PERSON made it possible for my mother to gain financial independence and avoid an arranged marriage.

My mother was a very brave woman for her time.

TODAY, we can avoid human exploitation by giving people education and work opportunities.

This was all possible because ONE PERSON decided to teach her, and ONE PERSON gave her a job opportunity.

We can all be that ONE PERSON to another in need.