Like Don Quixote, the famed knight from Cervantes' novel, Don M. Vargas dreamed of a better future despite a challenging upbringing. Born into a poor family with divorced parents, he grew up in a turbulent, unhealthy environment. His father, who raised him from age eight, battled depression, leading to dire living conditions. For about a decade, they lived in a home filled with garbage and slept under ceilings infested with bat droppings. At 18, Don left home to work as a street vendor.
"We often lived surrounded by trash, sleeping under bat feces that colonized the holes in our roof," Don recalls.
Born in Vassouras, Rio de Janeiro, at Rua Heitor Leal 446 (a now-renovated house), Don faced worsening circumstances, mirroring his father's struggles. Plagued by skin diseases and poor health, he eventually moved to Araruama to live with his aunt. There, he worked as a street vendor, construction laborer, shop clerk, and janitor.
Juggling work and studies proved difficult, and Don hit a turning point. "I had 42 reais in my pocket and needed to make it grow. If I skipped eating for a day, I'd keep that money. Passing by a stationery store, I saw small canvases in the window. I bought three, painted them that day, and went door-to-door selling. By the end of the day, I'd made 300 reais. I realized I was earning a 740-real monthly salary, but in one day, I made 300. That was the sign!"