“My name is Sandra, I’ve been an entrepreneur for thirty years. At present I’m the owner and director of some handicraft companies. I work in designing with tropical fabrics from Amazonia, and I do research in that region.   I’ve always been sensitive to the needs of those who are less favoured. I’d say that it’s part of my nature to dedicate myself to those who are most in need of help and solidarity. As a young woman I worked with prisoners in a jail. Then I became the director of a business. I’ve always tried to use my knowledge to promote others by offering vocational training and job opportunities.   In 1999 a family tragedy changed my life completely. In a single moment that marvellous “island” I was living on completely crumbled. The earth was taken from beneath my feet. I was desperate.   During this dramatic period, this painful period, I deepened my relationship with some friends in the focolare, whom I had met three years earlier. I found much support in them and gradually I was able to lift myself up again. Coming to know the experience of Chiara Lubich, it was as if a reflection of her light was giving me the hope of finding a way out at the end of the tunnel. I realized that her example was contagious towards me. Thus I had the strength to begin again.   In 2009 I attended the Congress on Dialogue for people with no religious conviction at Mariapolis Ginetta, the Focolare town near San Paolo. It made me feel motivated and I entered into concrete collaboration with them. A possibility was found for opening a course on making handicrafts with coconut fibre and “buriti” palms, which are native to Brazil. Coming from a family of specialists in using vegetable fibres, I create a job that not only increased the workforce, but also secured the conservation of the environment. And Project Ratan was born.   At present our workshop is active three times a week and is frequented by a group of eight youths who work there. They are followed by a worker from one of my factories, and I provide the supervision and targeting of designs. The products are useful for decorations, like vases, decorated boxes, with woven designs. At the end of last year, we had a cultural afternoon during which we presented our work and sold some pieces.   Quest’anno è già iniziata una seconda tappa del corso, con l’ampliamento dei lavori. Essendo un corso professionale, i giovani potranno essere inseriti poi nel mercato del lavoro. Le iscrizioni sono in crescita.This year the second phase has already begun with the expansion of the work. Since it is a professional course, the youths will be equipped to insert themselves into the work market. Enrolment is on the rise.   This project has been a gift for me. I realize that I also receive so much and, at times, much more than they. I feel such enormous joy at being able to collaborate in some way. From the moment I dedicated myself to this project, I felt reborn. And for as long as I live, I hope to continue working for this cause.”   S.G.