Camilla and Thiago explain how they are learning to ‘live in the city’
Living in a city isn’t just about finding a roof over your head or walking its streets. It means feeling part of a community, reclaiming one’s dignity and building one’s independence, day by day. It is from this vision that the programme “Digital Skills for Work” was born, promoted as part of the project Living in the City with Confidence, carried out by the Federation of Evangelical Churches (lead partner), together with Fondazione Mondo Digitale, ActionAid International Italia and the Adecco Foundation for Equal Opportunities, and funded by the state-administered ‘otto per mille’ scheme.
At the Palestra dell’Innovazione in Rome, asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection took part in 30 hours of practical training: from drafting CVs to mock interviews, right through to the effective use of job portals.
But behind the course modules lie the real-life stories of people who have never stopped putting themselves out there. Here are the testimonies of Camila and Thiago, collected by Domenica Cesena.
Camila. 43 years old, Brazil
“I knew what to say, how to dress, what to say. It was all so much easier, as if I’d already been through that moment.”
I arrived in Italy in 2013 for a simple yet vital reason: I just wanted to be free to be who I really am. Rome has been my second home for twelve years now.
As a child, I dreamt of becoming a hairdresser, but as you grow up, you realise that life doesn’t always allow you to follow the dreams you had as a child, especially if you don’t have the chance to plan where you’ll be in a year’s time. So I learnt to live one day at a time, to face the future with a broad shoulder, without making too many plans, taking things as they come. When I was offered this course, to be honest, I was a bit wary. I wasn’t very keen on starting. But then I walked into the classroom and saw some familiar faces: a homely atmosphere developed straight away, which put me at ease. It gave me the right boost to get back into the swing of things and to bring out everything I’ve learnt over the years, allowing me to pursue a new ambition: working in the hospitality sector.
Here in Italy, I’d already completed my lower secondary school qualification, but the world of work changes quickly. During the course with our trainer, Francesca Lisi, I learnt exactly what to include and what to avoid in a CV, how to present myself at an interview and how to apply via job portals. One day, right in the middle of a lesson, we submitted an application together. A few days later, they rang me for an interview!
Thanks to the role-plays we did in class, I knew what to say, how to dress and how to carry myself. The training was invaluable precisely because I was able to put it into practice straight away. Now I’m here, waiting to hear the outcome of that interview, hoping that this dream will come true. And if I look even further ahead? I dream of having a home of my own, of getting a cat to cuddle and, above all, of being able to hold my mum in my arms again.
Thiago, 50, Peru
“It’s not enough just to be in a place to call it home. To make a home means forging connections, enjoying the squares, feeling safe. It means being able to say, for the first time: ‘I’m at home here’.”
I’ve been in Italy for three and a half years, and I’ve been living in Rome for two. When I first arrived, it wasn’t easy to settle in: I’m a very reserved person, almost shy, and the language barrier made me feel even more withdrawn. But over time I met the right people – those who knew how to listen to me and help me open up.
As a child, I wanted to be a chef. I loved the idea of mixing different spices and ingredients to create a special dish that would make others feel good. But my life called for different ingredients: I studied up to secondary school in Peru, then I had to leave school to go and work and help my family.
Today, that desire to ‘nourish’ others has transformed: my dream is to look after people. To do that, however, I had to find the right path and the right tools. That’s why I chose the ‘Digital Skills for Work’ course. I’ve always been fascinated by the digital world, but, as I couldn’t write properly in Italian, I felt stuck.
On this course, I learnt how to write an effective cover letter, send an email with the correct attachments and polish my CV. But the best part was understanding the deeper meaning of ‘living in the city’: I realised that living doesn’t mean being shut away within four walls, but opening up to the outside world. Digital technology has given me the key to step out, put myself out there and no longer feel like an outsider.
Within the learning environments of the Palestra dell’Innovazione, we did plenty of practical work, but above all, we forged human connections and created real opportunities. Camila and Thiago’s stories remind us that behind every screen, every email sent or every CV perfected, there is a life seeking its place in the world. Between the desire to be reunited with a mother, the aspiration to care for others and the courage to overcome one’s fears, digital skills thus become much more than just a set of competencies: they are the key to reopening the door to the future and feeling that this city, at last, belongs to them too.
