Dona Helena is 74 and has owned her sewing workshop for 40 years. To everyone who knows her, she is kind, loving, and hardworking. To me, as her granddaughter, she is all of that and so much more. I grew up surrounded by her love, and during the early years of my life, when my parents worked full-time, I spent my days in her shop.

I was so small that I would nap in the same cardboard boxes filled with fabric while she worked beside me. Her shop was where I watched my first soap opera, made my first friend, and learned to braid hair and bake a cake.

 

What began as a two-story building has, after a lifetime of effort, grown into four stories. She started this business to provide for her family and, in doing so, became a role model for many women in the neighborhood. At a time in Brazil when opportunities for women were scarce—when they couldn’t leave the house to find jobs or pursue education—Dona Helena created a space where they could work. Her workshop allowed women to earn an income while staying close to home and caring for their children.

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This profession, however, is far from easy. Seamstresses typically earn about R$2.50 (Brazilian reais) per piece of clothing. On a good day, working from morning until night, Helena—still recovering from a broken wrist—can finish around 80 pieces, making roughly $30.

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This shop, and the stories it holds, won’t be here forever. I plan to continue photographing and documenting the rare opportunities I have to be with her. Though messy and noisy, this space is filled mostly with my grandma’s laughter, my family’s love, and the hard work and pride that come with taking care of those we love.