Deusa Sebastião

Deusa Sebastião
Guinea-Bissau

I am a goddess, a warrior, a fighter, and a winner.
My childhood was not easy. I left my country, Guinea-Bissau, at a very early age… I went through severe hunger and suffered greatly. At the age of 6, I went to work for a man in Senegal, where I lived like a slave, watching over wild animals so they would not destroy what had been planted. One day, the man wanted me to become his wife. I ran away and returned to my parents. All that suffering made me the woman I am today. I have worked as a mechanic, in hospitality, catering, and cleaning… Now I wake up every day at 3:30 a.m., and by 4:00 a.m. I am already on the street catching the bus because I start work at 5:00 a.m. I am proud of the woman I am.
(...)
Africa is within me! I brought a piece of Africa to Porto, and I always carry joy with me! Beleza Africana is my safe place in Porto and the result of my lifelong effort. It is a hair salon where I do what I love most and where I serve everyone, because here it is for everyone! At Beleza Africana there is good energy, and whoever enters leaves happy, beautiful, wonderful, and powerful!
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In January, I will complete fifteen years in Porto — a journey of hard work and struggle. I carry with me the longing for my country, but it is here that I find safety and freedom of expression. Here I have space to say what I think, to affirm who I am, and to make others happy.
I walk through Porto without fear and live in this city with freedom, knowing that my voice can exist.
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I dream of offering my loved ones a more dignified life after everything they have gone through with me. Since I could not become a mother, I imagine a place where I can welcome those in need. If I were ever able to do so, I would build a home/orphanage where I could help others and give them a fairer future.