Ellen Sweetman left Brazil to learn English and now helps migrants settle in Monaghan.
When Ellen Sweetman from Brazil came to Ireland in 2011 to learn English, she walked 6km everyday to English classes because she only spoke Portuguese so she didn’t know how to talk to the bus driver nor count euro money. Being brought up by a single mother and sister who was 17 years older, made her a strong, independent and hardworking woman. With a background in HR, she worked in various jobs both in Brazil and Ireland and has traveled to 21 countries. She is happily settled in Monaghan with her Irish husband since 2013, where she found comfort and felt at home in the welcoming nature of the Irish and the beautiful parks and restaurants. She works at Network Personnel helping migrants in Cavan and Monaghan integrate by finding employment and training. Her advice to them is to be humble and accept anything that will help improve them as a person and to keep working and learning. Now more Irish than Brazilian, she still wants her daughter to learn her culture and language and she will always be close to her family in Brazil whom she visits often.
