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Steven's life on a tightrope: New animation brings true tale of courage to life

Media releases

26 October 2016

The moving true story of Steven Tu, who has overcome extreme hardship, has been released today in a new animated film called Steven & the Tightrope Walk.

The two minute film is the fourth in The Smith Family’s Tales of the ‘One in Ten’ series, produced in conjunction with The Solid State. The series is based on the true stories of children who have lived with, and overcome disadvantage, with the support of the national children’s education charity.

Steven & the Tightrope Walk has 23-year-old Steven as the voiceover artist telling his story in his own words.

As a youngster, Steven’s family were evicted from their home. With only enough money to survive day-to-day, they weren’t able to afford the basics he needed for school.

“When we couldn’t afford the rent, we lost our home,” said Steven. “We had to move into my Aunt’s one bedroom flat, where my pregnant mother, my father, and my two siblings slept in a small lounge room. I was on the kitchen floor.

“Late at night, I sometimes had to study on the kitchen floor because there just wasn’t room elsewhere. I started to fall behind at school because we couldn’t afford the books or school trips - I felt so alone.

“I couldn't see myself passing high school. It was a scary feeling. When I was on that floor studying it didn’t feel like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. It was a struggle to get by.”

The Smith Family’s CEO, Dr Lisa O’Brien, said: “With more than 622,100, or one in 10, Australian children living in jobless families*, our latest film aims to showcase the courage of one of the students we were able to assist.

“Our education sponsorship program, Learning for Life, ensured Steven was equipped with all the items that he needed, like stationery, books and the correct uniform, as well as extra outside-of-school learning support,” she said.

The Learning for Life sponsorship program helped Steven to keep studying, finish Year 12 and attend university. He now works full-time in managerial position in the health sector.

Steven believes that The Smith Family’s support was the reason he was able to make it through school.

“When I finished Year 12 I was so happy - it was the best feeling I’ve ever had. I’m looking forward to the future, I have a great job now and I can’t wait to see what’s next,” he said.

Dr Lisa O’Brien added: “Steven’s story is truly inspiring and shows the real benefits that can be achieved when the community reaches out and invests in supporting the education of a disadvantaged child. With this generous help, these children can create better futures for themselves.”

Click here to watch film: http://bit.ly/2f1YaiU

*Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016. Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, June 2015 Data, Released August 2016

Media contacts:

Andrew Dickson | National Media Manager (National) - 0421 285 529 | andrew.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au
Carla Horton | Senior Media Advisor (QLD & WA) - 0423 618 776 | carla.horton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Reid Jermyn | Media Advisor (VIC, SA & NT) - 0412 803 566 | reid.jermyn@thesmithfamily.com.au
Ben Chenoweth | Senior Media Advisor (NSW, ACT & TAS) - 0413 346 934 | ben.chenoweth@thesmithfamily.com.au

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education. We partner with around 800 Australian schools and work with over 162,000 children and young people experiencing disadvantage access our education support programs to help them overcome . For more information, visit thesmithfamily.com.au