When people think about the Amazon, lush images of rain forests and tropical birds usually come to mind. But there is a parallel world in the Amazon that is much less familiar, and far from beautiful. It is a world of grinding poverty and hopelessness, especially for single mothers.
In the city of Santarém, Brazil, located in the heart of the Amazon, the problem is severe. The culture here, outside the Christian church, is full of promiscuity, and places little value on marriage and strong families. Thus there are thousands and thousands of single mothers in Santarém who have been abandoned by their men, with a bunch of children underfoot, scratching out their existence with little or no work. Some have been forced into a life of prostitution.
Sérgia infront of several Mary & Martha products
In 1998, PAZ launched the Mary & Martha Ministry to help such women lift themselves out of poverty by learning sewing and other income-producing skills. Much of the inspiration and leadership for the new ministry came through Sérgia Imbiriba, herself a single mother and member of the PAZ church.
Sérgia, a gifted seamstress and artisan, began to offer sewing classes in her own home. The response to the new ministry was immediate and enthusiastic, drawing women from all over the neighborhood. PAZ worked with Samaritan’s Purse Canada and through its own supporters to provide seed money and sewing machines for Mary & Martha.
From the beginning, Sérgia has offered her classes to Christians and non-Christians alike, without any prejudice toward women who are coming out of lifestyles involving prostitution and other sin. But she always sets aside a special hour each week for fellowship with her students, sharing a word from the Bible and giving the women a chance to discuss issues that are of critical importance to them, such as child-rearing, relationships with men, and household budgeting. Many of the women who attend Sérgia’s classes desperately want out of the disreputable lifestyles they are living and display a tremendous amount of commitment to do so. Many have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior through the classes.
These proud women are graduating from a Mary & Martha Course
Because of God’s blessing and provision, Mary & Martha has expanded far beyond its humble beginnings, now offering straight-stitch, crochet, cross-stitch, embroidering, fabric painting, manicure, pedicure, jewelry making, and cooking. The ministry has spread out into many other neighborhoods and currently graduates a couple hundred women a year through its various curricula. Upon completing a course, each woman receives a free package of start-up materials to help her carry her skills forward into a home-based business. The Mary & Martha Ministry is truly making a difference, providing hope to women with little.
