Cabaceiras, a town located in the interior of Paraíba, Brazil, stands out nationally for being a hub for goat leather handicrafts. The Arteza Leather Cooperative is responsible for this recognition and is run by Luís Eduardo Farias de Castro. The Adventist businessman is part of the fifth generation of his family to make a living from handicrafts.

The cooperative contributes greatly to the city's economic development by generating employment, reducing migration, and attracting tourists interested in learning about the leather processing process. Castro created the Oficina de Saberes (“Knowledge Workshop”) to teach the leather trade to teenagers from the region during the school day. They have their parents' permission and are paid for their work.

The businessman is the director of the Pathfinders club at the Alto da Boa Vista Adventist Church in Cabaceiras and sees firsthand the financial difficulties faced by children and teenagers. "That's when I came up with the idea of teaching them how to make a key ring so that they could earn money. I discovered a lot of talent and invited some of them to learn how to make other materials," he recalls. "One of those teenagers has now been my right-hand man in the company for over 20 years."

The company makes an average of 5,000 leather and canvas items. The goods include pants, bags, boot covers, and aprons, among others. The leather cooperative also has 75 members and a partnership with dozens of artisans in the region. Castro says it's gratifying to know he helps many Cabaceira residents to stay in their homeland and ensure the livelihood of many families through handicrafts.

Workshop Closes on Saturdays

There are 35 employees at Arteza alone, about 80 percent of whom are Adventists. The workplace becomes an environment for preaching the Gospel with morning devotionals and weeks of prayer. The entrepreneur's attitude has borne fruit, such as the story of a former employee who started his own leather crafts business and has already led more than 20 of his employees to baptism.

Edélcio Luduvice, national advisor of the Federation of Adventist Entrepreneurs (FE), emphasizes the importance of the work done by entrepreneurs like Castro from all over the country. "The example of the Adventist entrepreneurs in Cabaceiras demonstrates that the true Gospel of Christ transforms lives and gives people dignity," says Luduvice.

Castro says many customers want to know why the workshop is closed on Saturdays, and he takes the opportunity to talk about Sabbath-keeping. He recalls an employee who used to work in Rio de Janeiro on Saturdays and now, in his workshop, he no longer has to break God's fourth commandment. "My business goes beyond the professional, because I have talked about God and the Sabbath to my employees and customers. I usually include a missionary book among the goods I sell so that people can learn more about Jesus," he says.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.