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Sponsorship gave Jemimah the power to be bold

Sponsored students

13 July 2023

All parents want the best for their children. Eva is not any different. She had brought Jemimah and her three other children here from Uganda to give them a brighter future. “Education is important because it opens doors for people,” Eva says.

Eva worked so hard, doing night shifts to keep her children fed, but the cost of living kept climbing. She worried that the financial strain of raising her children on a sole income would hold them back from being all that they could be.

So, Eva was very pleased when Jemimah, Year 7, and her siblings got sponsored by someone amazing just like you. “I had braced myself for the hard times, but having this help means everything and it’s such a relief,” she says. “It makes such a difference, knowing your child has everything they need to study at school.”

Five years since the family arrived, Jemimah is now 18. Having a sponsor and knowing they want her to succeed helps her believe there are many pathways she can take. Now, as she plans her Year 12 subjects, her growing confidence and motivation show.

When a Smith Family sponsor lends a helping hand, this is the community helping my child become what they deserve to be.

Eva, Jemimah's mother

“I can choose to do physics, I can choose to do Japanese, and I can choose to do subjects that give me hands-on experience,” she says. “That has been exciting – and there’s still much more to explore.”

Thanks to her sponsor, Jemimah also received personal support from Kanzu, a Learning for Life Coordinator who encourages and helps her with any questions about school. Kanzu introduced her to iTrack online mentoring, a program that helps students with advice for life after school.

“When I finish school, I want to go to university and be an architect,” Jemimah says. “I’m speaking to people in the industry. I’m getting the skills to push myself more, to think for myself – that’s what I’ve learnt to do. If everyone had a good education, I think the world would definitely be a different place.”

Jemimah also received free internet donated by Optus customers through our Digital Learning Essentials program. The internet has helped her stay connected and keep up with digital learning. “I can access the internet wherever I am, be it at school or home.”

Eva is grateful that that a sponsor can see Jemimah’s potential and is investing in her future. Thank you for helping young Australians like Jemimah to get the most out of their education and reach their full potential.

Read more student and family stories in our Spring 2023 edition of Real People, Real Stories

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