Fernanda de Jesus Correia
76 years old · Vila Real de Santo António, Eastern Algarve
Retired (former fish canning worker)
Persona: Elderly Widow Low Pension
Fernanda de Jesus Correia
Quick Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Fernanda de Jesus Correia |
| Age | 76 |
| Gender | Female |
| Location | Vila Real de Santo António, Eastern Algarve |
| Occupation | Retired (former fish canning worker) |
| Education | 4th grade |
| Housing | Owns small house (inherited, no mortgage) |
| Family | Widow, two daughters (one in Lisbon, one in France), four grandchildren |
| Voter Status | Portuguese citizen - can vote |
Background Narrative
Fernanda worked in fish canning from age 14 until the factory closed when she was 52. Her hands still remember the cold, the scales, the repetitive motion. Her husband Manuel was a fisherman; he died of lung cancer 12 years ago, likely from decades of smoking and sea air.
Now she lives alone in the small house they built together, surviving on a pension of €380/month—the minimum social pension because her work was often informal, undeclared, as most women's work was in those days. Her daughter in Lisbon sends €100/month when she can. Her daughter in France visits once a year, sends money at Christmas.
The Algarve around her has transformed. The town that was fishing and canning is now tourism and foreigners. Her neighbors on both sides are British retirees who don't speak Portuguese. She doesn't begrudge them—they're polite enough—but she feels like a stranger in her own town.
Her knees hurt. Her heart medication is expensive. The health center is understaffed. But she won't leave this house, where her children were born, where Manuel's memory lives in every room.
Economic Situation
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income level | Poverty level (€380/month + €100 from daughter) |
| Income source | Social Security minimum pension |
| Financial stress | Severe |
| Housing cost burden | None (owns house) but medication, utilities strain budget |
| Economic trajectory | Fixed income, rising costs |
Values Profile (Schwartz Framework)
Higher-Order Values
| Dimension | Rating | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Transcendence | 4 | Still charitable within means; community-minded |
| Self-Enhancement | 1 | Never sought status; humble life |
| Openness to Change | 1 | Change has only meant loss |
| Conservation | 5 | Security, tradition, family—everything |
Specific Values (Top 3 priorities)
- Security: Health, basic survival, not being a burden
- Tradition: Faith, family, Portuguese customs
- Benevolence: Would give her last euro to grandchildren
Moral Politics Frame (Lakoff)
Primary frame: Nurturant Parent (traditional variant)
Expression: Fernanda believes in caring for family, community, the vulnerable. She thinks the state should protect those who can't protect themselves—the old, the sick, the poor. She's not ideological; she just believes in decency.
Information Ecosystem
| Source Type | Specific Sources | Trust Level |
|---|---|---|
| TV | RTP, SIC (on all day for company) | High |
| Online | Doesn't use | N/A |
| Social Media | None (no smartphone) | N/A |
| None | N/A | |
| Community | Church, remaining neighbors, market vendors | Very High |
Media consumption pattern: TV is her companion—on from morning news to evening telenovelas. Trusts what she sees. Gets local information from church and the few remaining Portuguese neighbors.
Political Profile
Voting History
| Election | Vote | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Legislative | PS | "Always have, they care about pensions" |
| 2022 Legislative | PS | "For the workers" |
| 2021 Presidential | Marcelo | "Good man, cares about people" |
| Historical pattern | Lifelong PS voter (working class loyalty) |
Political Identity
- Left-Right self-placement: Doesn't think in these terms
- Party identification: Traditional PS (working class, pensions)
- Political engagement: Low—votes, follows news vaguely
2026 Presidential Inclination
- Current leaning: Seguro (PS) or Marcelo-like figure
- Certainty: Leaning
- Key deciding factors: Who cares about elderly, pensions, healthcare
Top Concerns (Ranked)
- Health/medication costs: "My pills cost more than food some weeks."
- Loneliness: "Everyone left or died. I talk to the TV."
- Pension adequacy: "€380 doesn't go anywhere anymore."
- Healthcare access: "The health center has no doctors. What if something happens?"
- Dying alone: "I don't want to die without my children knowing."
Hopes
For herself:
"I want to stay in my home until the end. Not a nursing home, not a hospital—here, where Manuel and I lived. If I could see my grandchildren more..."
For Portugal:
"I hope they remember the old ones. We worked our whole lives. We deserve dignity at the end."
For her grandchildren:
"I want them to have good lives. Even if it's far away, even if I only see them on the phone. I just want them to be happy."
Fears
Personal fears:
"Falling and not being able to get up. Having a stroke alone. Being found days later. Being a burden to my daughters."
Fears for Portugal:
"That the young ones all leave. That there's no one to care for the old. That Portugal becomes a country without Portuguese."
Deepest fear (often unspoken):
"That my life didn't matter. That I worked 40 years and have nothing to show for it. That my children couldn't stay because of how I lived."
"In Their Own Voice"
How she'd describe Portugal today:
"I don't recognize it anymore. My town is all foreigners and empty houses. The young left, the old are dying. The fish factory is a shopping center. I worked my whole life, and now I count coins for bread. Is this what Portugal promised us?"
What she'd say to someone who disagrees with her politically:
"What do I know about politics? I just know what's fair. I worked 40 years, mostly without papers because that's how it was. And now my pension doesn't buy medication. That's not right, is it?"
Her message to politicians:
"Don't forget us. We're still here, the old ones. We remember when Portugal was different. We don't ask for much—just to live with dignity. Is that too much?"
Scenario Response Predictions
| Candidate | Predicted Response | Key Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura | Negative | Seems aggressive; doesn't feel caring |
| Gouveia e Melo | Neutral | Respectable but doesn't know him |
| Marques Mendes | Neutral | Seems nice enough |
| Seguro | Positive | PS, pensions, familiar |
| Catarina Martins | Neutral | Women should help women; seems kind |
| Cotrim Figueiredo | Neutral | Doesn't know him |
| António Filipe | Positive | Workers' party; knows PCP helped old people |
Notes for Scenario Development
- Extreme isolation and vulnerability
- Tourism transformation of home region
- The dignified poor—worked hard, has nothing
- Phone as only connection to children/grandchildren
- Could interact with: British expat neighbors, health center staff, daughter during visits
- In "Day in the Future" vignettes: daily routines (TV, market, church), phone calls with daughters, health scares, sitting alone