By Fabiola Sillias from Haiti
My name is Fabiola Sillias and I am from Haiti. I describe myself as a happy, loyal, fair, and adaptable person. My dream is to build an orphanage in my hometown and I have a goal to see the success of my children, be able to work and realize my dreams. I have been in the US for almost 3 years now, but I used to travel for vacation more than 10 years ago.
The barrier that I faced as an immigrant in the US is integration in the job market. I overcame it by taking classes and by participating in Let’s Talk Philly (LTP) conversation circles to build my self-confidence . Let’s Talk Philly helped me in my dream of integrating in the US market during the “social wellness “experience with Mariam Nek who shared about LinkedIn. This wellness event gave me tips on how to build a stronger profile and taught me about the importance of networking.I am very grateful for this experience that enabled me to connect to a career coach, Shanira at The Welcoming Center.
It was not too difficult to learn English because in Haiti we have some English courses from middle school to High School. I was introduced to Let’s Talk Philly by my little sister Anne who was searching for a place to practice her English. I would recommend LTP to others because it is a good space to meet new friends from different cultures and practice speaking English.
As an immigrant it’s important to have the guidance I found in Let’s Talk Philly. By participating in Let’s Talk Philly, I found confidence in myself while sharing my story with new people and it became easier for me to be open to others.
Being a mother of a toddler is very demanding with no help at home but this experience with Let’s Talk Philly helped me find happiness. It was like therapy for me. I was excited Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon especially if I was the co facilitator and I can tell the 2 hours was not enough. My son followed all the sessions. I believe he was the youngest participant in the cycle! The experience with Let’s Talk Philly helped me in managing my time better and I believe that I can now participate in anything online, like taking a class that I thought was previously impossible.
My advice for other immigrant mothers with babies is to thank God every day for that little miracle. Babies are not a burden but blessings. I would not say it’s easy but it’s not impossible even with a baby, I would encourage them to try as I did, and they will be very happy at the end. I would like to advise all immigrants to adapt with the new environment, new culture, keep your manners and principles, and focus on your dreams and goals.
LTP is a space where you not only practice English but you also learn a lot from each other, as we had people from different countries, Mexico, Ukraine, Brazil, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya. We shared knowledge about our countries and cultures and had a lot of fun. My best topics were about food, dance and music. I take this opportunity to thank Maureen for her patience and the way she guided us to see and be the best in everything. I can’t wait for the next one.
