Alberto Oliveira Do Vale, 45, Porto, Portugal

I have two daughters, one is 18 and one is six.
My wife has been unemployed for some time now. I work manufacturing copper cables. I have been working there for 22 years.

I have finished high school. I wanted to do a law degree; I applied but I couldn’t afford it. Now my 18-year-old wants to go to university. I hope things are better for her. I hope she will be able to go to university instead of me.

The company has a difficult time accessing credit to boost the business – copper is expensive and in the last two years we haven’t had many requests for new orders. They are only paid on delivery. The group has four companies with about 800 workers.
I have been working since I was 11, I have always lived and worked in the community. I don’t have a very wide view of what is happening around the world. Perhaps I may have a different view – than someone with a higher income.

I have always been living with a little income. I got used to making savings, and only living with the very essentials that you need.

As a parent I want to provide my daughters with better conditions possible – I don’t want to spoil them with extras, but I want to give them what they need. There are many people around me with difficulties.

We try to gather essential supplies that people need, and distribute them among friends. People will always share what they have.

There must be jobs in the future; people depend on jobs for their future.
We may have to share our jobs with our colleagues instead of looking for full time work. Instead of having a person unemployed, you have two people sharing a job.