For generations,
Stories in Light – Brazil.
this place has taught people
that caring matters more
than owning.
Episode 12: Artur.
“Esperança.”
Hope.
That is the name of the farm where Artur (68) welcomes me.
A name that has been passed down here for generations.
It was his great-great-grandfather
who bought the land in a time
when slavery was still deeply rooted in Brazil.
But he was far ahead of his time.
He freed every enslaved person who came with the estate.
Later, he married one of them.
A decision that came at a price.
He died in prison.
And yet, nearly two hundred years later,
his beliefs still live on here.
Like his ancestors before him,
Artur’s love for this place runs deep.
“I do enjoy traveling,” he laughs.
“As long as I can leave after breakfast
and be back home before dinner.”
For generations, this place has taught people
that caring matters more than owning.
A way of life Artur still tries to pass on every day.
His father once planted ten thousand araucaria trees — rare pines found only in parts of Brazil.
Years later, a paper company wanted to cut them down.
But the family refused.
“Because money comes and goes.
Nature stays.”
In a country where progress is often measured
by wealth and accumulation,
Esperança still believes
that having enough
is enough.
A place where people are simply welcome
to enjoy what generations before them preserved.
And while Artur lovingly milks his cows,
I realize Esperança was never just a name.
It’s a way of life.