Casglwyd a golygwyd yr hanes llafar hwn gan Ganolfan Adrodd Storïau George Ewart Evans fel rhan o brosiect Straeon Bawso.

Mae prosiect Storiau Bawso yn brosiect partneriaeth arloesol rhwng Canolfan Adrodd Storïau George Ewart Evans (Prifysgol De Cymru), sefydliad cymorth arbenigol Bawso ac Amgueddfa Cymru. Ariannwyd y prosiect hwn gan Gronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol.

Mae caniatâd wedi'i roi i'r stori hon gael ei rhannu

a. Yn archifau a chasgliadau Amgueddfa Cymru
b. Ar wefannau, e.e. Casgliad y Werin Cymru, Bawso, Prifysgol De Cymru, Amgueddfa Cymru, etc.
c. Ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol, e.e. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, ac ati.
d. Mewn cyhoeddiadau ysgrifenedig, e.e. adroddiadau prosiect, erthyglau cyfnodolion, ac ati.
e. Mewn unrhyw ddefnydd arall yn unol â nodau ac amcanion y prosiect

[Trawsgrifiad ar gael yn Saesneg yn unig]

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Cyfweliad gyda Elvira (Storiau Bawso)

Hyd 00:52:14

So can you tell me about your experience of coming to Wales?

[Speaks in Portuguese].

Yeah. So I’m just going to explain what (audio cuts out – 00:57:9) she told us. So basically, she said, she came to Wales, basically, to look for better life, better quality of life and she said, it’s a calm place and she likes to be here. She said, it’s a lovely place for, especially for children, to grow up children, because it’s calm, not too many problems around and, you know, she, she mentioned about the house. The price of the house is a bit cheaper, compared to other big towns and yeah, she said, she hasn’t got things to, bad things to say, just good things around, you know, from what the experience she had. So she’s got good things. She mentioned about especially opportunity in terms of work. She said, it’s a bit limited, compared to big cities, yeah, but apart from that, she said, it’s very good.

Okay. Oh it’s the wind. Ah okay. It’s very windy, today, isn’t it?

It is.

Yeah. Okay. Could you tell me a bit more about how you feel the, the opportunities are different here and how that’s affected you?

[Speaks Portuguese]. Yeah. So explain that her background, she professionally, she’s a nurse and she, of course, practice a nurse in Portugal a long time. So when she move, she would like to carry on, of course, doing work she likes doing but the problem is, she would like to do a specialisation, a specific area and she found out that, in Wales, she cannot get specific area that she wants to do. She mention about a name. Phlebe?

Phlebotomist.

Phlebotomist, yeah? It’s

Phlebotomist.

Phlebotomy?

Yeah.

Phlebotomist?

Yeah, phlebotomy. Yeah.

Phlebotomy, yeah. So she said, she tried to find out if there is, you know, these specific area of qualification. She said, she could not find here, just in big cities like Manchester, London. Yeah, and she said, yeah, she would like, yeah, of course, to have more opportunity. She knows that she needs to work in her English, to get better, to be able to communicate efficiently but she’s working towards that. She’s attending college. So, and she said, also, in terms of young people, the limitation is, of course, they are in college and then they go to university, so she feels that they need to have more information about the specific area they are qualified. So when they finish some kind of degree or even master, they are able to work in the field that they are preferred to work and she said, what, from her experience and, you know, friends and people that she knows, loads of people, they finish university, they are struggle to get straight into work, so they need to go and work, of course, in Wales, in the industrial state, you know, in the factory and she said, it’s a barrier, it’s a limitation for her.

That’s really interesting. Thanks. No, it is. It’s very interesting. Do you feel like your relationship with Wales has changed, at all, since you arrived?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah.

Yeah.

She said, of course, from the beginning, her expectation was like into a different place and probably, here I will have more opportunity, opportunity in terms of work, opportunity in terms of, you know, work for young people because she mentioned about that because she’s got a son. So twenty one years old, son and, of course, she would like more opportunity for him. She mentioned that, of course, he’s doing his, his degree. So when he finished, she’s worried if he’s going to find, you know, some work in his field. So she doesn’t want him to come and then go back to industrial state to work. So, she said, in terms of opportunity, it’s something that always make her think, “oh, I need to stay here, or I move to another area because of the opportunity”. So she said, in terms of opportunity, it’s a barrier and it’s something that, initially, she thought of it will be more open, open opportunity, you know, but she feels that’s still a barrier. It’s something that, yeah, she mentioned about.

How old were you when you came to Wales and, and who were you with?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay, okay.

Okay. Yes. She’s saying that, of course, she came to Wales when she was around forty eight years old. So, today, she is fifty one. Yeah? So it’s around

[Speaks Portuguese].

Around four years. Four, yeah. She’s been in Wales. And, of course, she’s still… She came, she came alone because she had some friends around and she came to look for work and new opportunities, especially for her children. This is what she said.

Would you feel comfortable telling me a bit about what the word or idea of home means to you, now?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah, she said, she feel okay. She feels happy. She feels okay. Yes.

But does the, does the, do the word home, what does it mean to you? How does it, what it, when you, when I say the word, home, what do you think of?

[Speaks Portuguese].

So she said, the word, the word, home, for her, of course, the way she’s feeling is like security, stability and freedom. Freedom to speak, freedom to take out, you know, her feelings and everything that, you know, she’s worried about. Yes.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay. She said, she totally repeat, after giving me this answer and she said, in terms of security, she doesn’t have security at the moment because the place where she’s living at the moment, it’s a very problematic area and she’s having issues, like harassment, you know. She feels that she’s not very safe there.

Thank you for sharing that.

It’s okay.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell me about the idea of home and what would make you, what makes you feel at home or not at home?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. So she’s mentioned that, she’s been having a really bad experience since she moved to a council property and she said, it’s been really, really bad, in terms of the way the neighbours treats her, they threw stone towards her house. They don’t, they, they, they threw yoghurt towards the door. She go out and then they make fun, signal like, yeah, like they’re going to kill. So, it’s been a lot of things going on. Of course, the police is involved and they are trying to help her but the process is too slow to move her to another area and this is making her very, very upset and down, as well. So she mentioned about all of this. She’s quite limited in what she can do in that property, even in terms to treat her front garden. She plant, she plants there, she makes things beautiful but someone, someone, someone comes and destroy it. So she, she’s not feeling happy where she is at the moment. So really, really bad experience for her.

I’m sorry to hear that and I hope they can find you somewhere else to live. That’s terrible.

It is.

Yeah.

It is.

One month ago, three weeks ago, people sended the poop near my windows.

Yeah. She said, three weeks ago, someone threw poo towards her window.

[Speaks Portuguese].

She believe it’s dog’s poo but they threw it towards her window. Yeah.

That’s, yeah, I mean, you know, it’s just shocking. Yeah, it’s really shocking and heartbreaking, actually. It’s heartbreaking to hear.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah.

She said, these were the experience that she’s living make her down and, of course, initially, she had an idea of Wales but now, being through all these bad experience, her idea changed and she feels very low. Even her children feel that they don’t want to stay here. They want to move to another area. So she’s been through quite a lot of experience. She said, she, she doesn’t want to say it’s everywhere but the area where she is, is really, really bad.

I’m so sorry. I really hope that can change soon. Yeah.

[Speaks Portuguese].

She said, she’s optimistic that things will change, she find another accommodation and move to a more safe area, hopefully. This is what she believes.

Thank you for sharing that. I think it’s important that people know that that is happening and, you know, and today. So thank you for

Yeah.

I know that’s probably hard to, to share that, you know, if you were dealing with it every day but I think it’s very important you share that. So thank you.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay.

Okay. Are you okay, to move on to the next question?

Yes, yes.

Yeah? Can you describe a place or a time in your life that’s important to you?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. So she mentioned about Cuba. Of course, she mentioned that, in São Tomé, it’s the country where she born originally, she have good time there, as well, but then she move to Cuba and it’s where she has lots of good things but she mentioned also bad things as well because, of course, she moved to, yeah, she moved to Cuba and she had good things happen but also bad things. So she mentioned, you know, very, I would say, sensitive topic. She mentioned about suffering from paedophilia. Yeah, in Cuba? Yeah.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah, she said, so your boss?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Your boss?

Yeah, yeah.

From your boss in Cub, in Cuba?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay. She was

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah, she was, it was, she, she mentioned about the teacher that was organising everything in Cuba for international students to come.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. So she said, also, this teacher is originally from the country where she came from, originally, São Tomé. So he was the link for all the students from São Tomé in Cuba. So she said, she suffer some abuse from him, while she was in Cuba, when she were, how old was it?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She said, fourteen, fifteen

Okay.

When she travel, yeah, she suffered from this abuse.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She said, the abuse stopped when she was seventeen, when she moved from that school to another school.

Thank you for sharing that, as well.

It’s okay.

Yeah, it’s very difficult to remember, I’m sure but thank you for, for sharing. You said, there was also some

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She says, after all, all of these experience with the bad things, then, when she moved to another school, she started being happy again.

Yeah, that was what I was going to ask, was, what, what, what were the good things that happened? Can, can you describe

[Speaks Portuguese].

What you experienced and how was it to be there? Can you paint us a picture of what it was like?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay. Mentioned that the, the moments that, you know, it’s been very, very important in her life, when, was when she finish her course in Cuba, as a nurse. She was very happy, very pleased to finish it and then, she said, during her time there as well, loads of good things happen. She used to do loads of sport and she won a medal as a running there. So she was very happy. Another crucial moment where, was when she returned back to São Tomé, to see her parents after, after so many years in Cuba.

Was the move to Cuba, was that a part, like in the kind of, was there, because there was better schools? Was that the reason to go to Cuba?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She said, at that time, it was a cooperation between, between the government of Cuba and the government of São Tomé. So they used to pick good students in different school in São Tomé and send to Cuba, to carry on studies and then pick for a qualification they want to do. So it was kind of cooperation between both countries. So that’s why she went there.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay. She said, that time when she moved to Cuba, together with more fifty nine children around her age, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.

They went all to Cuba to carry on studies and do a qualification there.

What was Cuba like, in general, at that time? Can you tell me a bit about what Cuba was like?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She said the experience she had when she travelled to Cuba was very good. Of course, the country has its own rules and things but she said, it was very good because not just in terms of studies, but also they give children that time and structure, yeah, how, how to cooking, how to cook, how to clean, how to make a good use of money, how to make uses, good use of time as well and know how to apologise, know how to approach people, know how to respect people. So she said, nowadays, it’s something that is missing in education because, in Cuba, they used to do a combination of practical things in life and then, other side she studies, you know, books and things but these two sides was very important for her.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. So she mentioned, now, about she’s doing comparison between that time and nowadays. Of course, that times, there is no internet, young people like the age of when she moved to Cuba and other young people, they didn’t have the mobile, internet and things like that and she said, they used to give lots of importance to books, yeah, and reading and things like that. And she said, other things that was very important was about teaching them about the culture, about sport, about health, which was very good, as well.

Fascinating to hear about living in Cuba, at that time. I wonder why it was so different? Do you, why do you think it was like that?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay, yeah. She mentioned about, of course, initially, she said about, you know, in terms of cultural, sport and health, she believes that they still follow the same rules, even though there is a small change but in terms of that, because she’s been in contact with few people in Cuba, and some friends, and she believes it’s still the same but she said, of course, in 1989, it was some kind of block between United State and Cuba. And they used to send a lot of food and things like that for Cuba and then the poverty took over and, you know, start to complain about no food and, of course, these they make things more and more difficult between communities and, you know, brought other things with it as well. So she believes it was more political side, that make things to ruin that.

That’s very interesting.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She said, of course, she witnessed loads of things going on, as well and, you know, after like, you know, in terms of food, people was very, very struggling. Even the bread, she give an example of like a big bread. So for this big bread, so many peoples, they need to share this one bread, bread with so many peoples and, you know, of course, in other countries, they didn’t experience that. She used to live in Portugal, even in the UK, people can, can, can go to a shop and buy a big bread and eat it but, in this country, one bread, needs to be shared with, probably one for ten or fifteen people.

So when did you leave Cuba?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay. 1992, okay, she left Cuba.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay. So she said, she arrive Cuba in 1987.

Eighty six.

Okay. 1986. Yeah.

Yeah, so she left in 1992.

And then you went to Portugal?

No.

No?

São Tomé. Yeah, she went to São Tomé. Yeah. So she went to São Tomé and stayed two years, working there and then she travelled to Portugal.

Okay. What was it like in, in Portugal?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yes. Yeah. So she said, yeah, in general, in Portugal, was good but she mentioned that, of course, initially, when she moved to Portugal, things was not easy at the beginning. Of course, you know, she used to do any type of job, there, initially, cleaning, work as a care assistant, and then, of course, with time, she managed to find out what she can do to work as a nurse there. So, of course, they’ve instructed her to do some kind of adaptation period, so she can have the equivalence of qualifications she had from Cuba, to start work in Portugal. She said, after eleven years, she, she start work for the Portuguese government, as a nurse in one area in Portugal and, of course, after that, things start moving forward. She managed to buy a house in Portugal but then, with times, things went wrong again, and she lost this house and yeah, she stopped there.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about Portugal?

[Speaks Portuguese].

And that part of your life?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay. Yeah, she said, she mentioned about another experience she had that was really good in Portugal, was with the two childrens there and she’s got a boy and girl. So she’s got her two childrens there. It was good and she said, it was a good country to live, even though the life is very expensive there, but she took the decision to move out of Portugal, especially because of her children, to give them better life opportunity. Yeah, so she said, she moved not because of herself but it’s more because of her children, just to give them a better future.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

Yeah? Are you sure?

Yeah.

Thank you for sharing about Portugal. It’s really interesting to hear. I wonder if you would like to tell me anything else about your childhood maybe in São Tomé, what that was like?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Okay. Yeah, she said, the experience in São Tomé was very, very happy. She doesn’t have anything bad to say. Very, very happy. Very good. She was a very happy child, there.

That’s nice. So what was the, I don’t know anything about that country, can you tell me a bit about how it looks? How it’s, the, is there lots of nature? Is it green? Is it, how does it look and smell and feel? Is it very hot? Yeah. Can you describe it maybe?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. So she mention about São Tomé and vicinity. She said, it’s a beautiful island and loads of natural, loads of green lands and it’s beauty, beautiful and she said, it, parts of Wales, because of the green, reminds her back to São Tomé. And people who are there are very, very friendly and she said, of course, living away, we don’t give much importance when we are there but after, sometimes after we compare things, it’s when we realise how good there are certain things there. And, of course, she mentioned about the political side of São Tomé. She said, it’s not good. There is corruptions. They don’t do things in the way they should do. So that’s why the island is a bit behind but it’s natural, it’s very, very beautiful.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She said, she cannot say a lot, a lot from São Tomé because, of course, she left there when she was fourteen.

Yeah. When she came back, she didn’t stay there for a long time. So yeah.

And thank you for sharing a little bit. It’s fascinating to hear that, you know, it’s similar to Wales, with all the green. Yeah. I’ve got a couple more questions. Can you tell me about a magic moment, when something changed for you?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She said, the magic, magic moment for her was when she moved to Portugal and she was doing the adaptation periods to have the equivalence to the qualification she had in Cuba and when everything went well, and then they told her, yes, we agree that, you know, you can work in Portugal and she was, was, she said, was a very, very happy moment for her and she was very proud of herself because she had a good grades, during the adaptation period, good grade and within fifty thousand candidates, she was the second one. So she was very, very pleased.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She said, she was in the second. So she was very, very….

A legal nurse, now. Yeah.

Pleased and proud of herself.

That’s amazing. Well done. That’s a beautiful moment to have

Yeah.

Written, recorded, as well. That’s really fantastic.

Yes.

So what are your hopes for the future?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. So she said, she would like her children to finish the qualification because she came here for the better future for them and then, potentially, after that, she may think to go back to Portugal because she said, there, she can work as a nurse. So, here, she still has a barrier, language barrier. So this is her, her goals. Yeah.

Yeah. Sounds good. Is there anything else you’d like to share, today, or that you feel is important to you to have as part of this interview, that we haven’t covered?

[Speaks Portuguese].

So she’s mentioned about the experience she has been through in terms of, you know, the, the accommodation she’s living at the moment. She said, even reports to the council, everything, you know, she’s been experienced, reporting to the police, even the police got back and say, oh yes, we acknowledge that, you know, everything you, you’ve been through is really bad. She’s still waiting for the Council to move her to another property and the justification of the Council is, you, you have a roof [over] your head, so we don’t feel it’s very, very urgent to move you right now. Of course, the Council has some issues with accommodation, but she said, after everything she’s been through, they should change something for her, not leave, leave her experience this traumatic experience and, you know, it’s been affecting her emotionally, physically. So yeah, she would like this to change for sure.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She always mention, she mentioned again about the way everything she has been through. It’s interfering with her life, mentally, emotionally she’s not feeling motivated to carry on with things. She was attending English class at the college. She has to stop it. It’s impact on her health. She doesn’t feel okay to leave her daughter alone at home. So because of that it’s preventing her to come out more, especially when her daughter is at home. So she needs to be there with her and, you know, she was motivated to carry on, to push for herself. She start going to Manchester to see the possibility to carry, carry out the qualification about the specific area she works. She started but she has to drop it because of the situation she’s been experiencing. Yeah.

Yeah. Thank you for sharing a bit more about that. Yeah, I think it’s very important to, to have that on record that these are the barriers, you know, you’re facing. So thank you.

Yeah.

And I really hope that, that you get a resolution very soon, so you can move on.

It’s okay.

Yeah.

[Speaks Portuguese].

She’s asking if you’ve got any more questions for her?

So the interview is finished.

Thank you.

Yeah, the only thing I wanted to check was, if, when we were at the museum, I did record you, during the group, if there was any other stories or memories from the objects there that you wanted to share or if you’re happy with the story we recorded on the day?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. She said, of course, Friday, when we travelled to, to the museum, she was very pleased, very happy to have this experience, was very positive. It was a very, very good day, with, you know, loads of, you know, new experience for her, to have a look back and see loads of different objects that she didn’t see for a long time and remind her years, years ago. So it was very, very positive. She would like it to continue because it was a very positive experience and yeah.

Does she think, this is off topic now, this is just me asking but the, going to the museum, specifically, does she think that has potential to help with wellbeing and, you know, having a different environment, you know? Would, when you’re experiencing something like you’re experiencing now, do you think that has the potential to, to be a, you know, to be a nice experience, a nice, a nice thing. To go and to have a cultural experience, with others and, you know, in a group?

[Speaks Portuguese].

Yeah. Yeah. She said, of course, yeah, it’s always helpful, when she get out. It’s helped, for sure, but then, when she come back again, you know, all these things, you know, come back again in her memories and, you know, her mind, all the bad experience, you know, come back again. Yeah.

Yeah, when you come, come home, at the end of the day.

Yes.

Yeah. Great, okay. We’ve been going for a long time, so let’s, let’s stop and you can have a breath, a, a break. I know you have an appointment. I don’t want you to be late.

Yes, I going now.

So thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

Wonderful interview and a, a privilege to learn more about, about your life. So thank you for sharing.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you translate.

[Speaks Portuguese].

Thank you for invite me.

[Speaks Portuguese]

Yeah. Yeah. She said the, the reason why she likes to share things, even though it’s bad, but, you know, just hoping that, you know, other people don’t go through the same situation and things get better. Yeah.

Thanks. It’s important that we have, yeah, testimony to things, yeah?

Yes.

And then we can show people what’s happening.

Yeah.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Okay, I’ll turn this off, now.

Thank you.