Support means Shakira’s dreams are now within reach

Determined and passionate, 14-year-old Shakira has big plans for her future – to become a dance teacher and open her own studio one day.

Every child deserves the chance to achieve all they’re capable of. Poverty can put barriers in the way of some children and make their dreams seem out of reach. But thanks to our donors, Shakira is well on her way to fulfilling her goal.

Shakira’s mum Samantha is a busy mother of four. She said that your generous support has made the world of difference to her daughter’s experience at school. “Shakira has autism, and she has often felt less included or confident than other children. But The Smith Family donors have changed that.”

Shakira says the learning support she has accessed through our out-of-school learning and mentoring programs has been really important for her. She has been able to participate in student2student, our peer-to-peer reading buddy program, and Learning Clubs, where students get additional help to improve their reading, writing and spelling.

“When I did student2student I liked reading new books and meeting new people. I went up several reading levels,” she said. “The volunteer tutors at Learning Club helped me with my homework and made me feel I can do anything. It was amazing.”

“Having four children with autism, it’s very hard to sit down with them all and help with homework,” Samantha says. “So the extra learning support from The Smith Family has been really helpful. Shakira has improved her reading and schoolwork – and it’s made her so much more confident and involved at school.

“No matter what life throws at us, there’s this support from The Smith Family. Thank you!”