Adela Smith
Adela Smith was born in the Philippines and moved to Britain in the 1980s with her English husband. A qualified accountant in the Philippines, she was unable to work as an accountant in the UK. Adela is now Team Leader with Babeco the real nappy company, having been a student at Silai for Skills.
"Before I left the Philippines I studied at university, Notre Dame University with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Accountancy. Then I had a job in an office equivalent to Avon County in Accounting Division, and later on I met my husband, he is English and we came over here. When I first came here I was so shocked by everything. Because I said to myself, well I am this professional person and everything is different, and although in the Philippines it is hard work, if you had your own education, you get a job, you made your life really.
When I first come to Silai, I had just become a mum. First one I can go to work, I can juggle my work. And then the second one it is difficult to juggle. Then one day when me and the kids are having a walk, and I saw this Silai for Skills, I thought I'd go in. One of the receptionists said to me, very friendly, "Oh there's a créche for the girls, and then you can learn this and that." For the first time I'm not really interested in learning I just want to get out really, because 24 hours a day is a long time to be with them, you've got no interaction or adult conversation. That is not like me, I enjoy talking to people, you know, socialising. I started there, I started some sewing. I didn't like it at first, because I'd never been trained as a sewer, but there you go, through persuasion or whatever I thought, you know I'm proud of what I do."
