My hero

I admire very much my father Heli Antunes Duarte, because he was able to overcoming great obstacles and is a winner…

He was born 70 years ago in Diogo de Vasconcelos, a very small city, in Minas Gerais. To explain how small it is nowadays this city have a population of 3.000 people.

He was 18 years old, just knowing read and write basics things, when come to São Paulo almost without money. He looked for a job and started as “dustman”, who at that time was named “turn dustbin” because plastic trash bag did not exist yet and he needed turn down the garbage from the trash can inside the garbage truck, was a very hard physical effort.

Besides he worked very hard during all day he had money just to have lunch and at the night could eat something only when the owner of the boarding house changed some food for extra services.

In some months my father come to school to recovered the lost time and became a accountant, got a better job in accountancy office, known my mother and got married (almost 40 years ago). Together they built very happy family with 4 daughters, who studied at least until the graduation. He already have retired for many years and can live very well with his own money (something very rare in Brazil!).

For many people every thing my father conquered can be almost nothing… but considering the conditions he started was a very big realization (at least in my opinion!). I now lots of people with much better support and opportunities who did not study or work and is unable to have an structured family.

To finalize the most important is that my father is very happy, is very satisfied with his life, loves his family and this sensation is the most value thing somebody can have…