A chance to change a life

Jeremy knows what it is like to grow up in poverty. Now, he is doing what he can to ensure other children like him are not held back. “My parents came over from the Philippines in the early 90s and they had three kids,” he recalls. “They weren’t working the best kind of jobs. Always struggling. They shielded me from most of it. But later on, I found out how much of a struggle it was.”

With great determination, Jeremy excelled at school and went on to university. He became a successful software engineer, also volunteering in his spare time with refugee communities.

“It cost my parents a lot of pain and sacrifice to get our family where we are today,” he says. “I now understand the turmoil and uncertainty it caused them.” 

Jeremy is grateful that he now lives comfortably. But memories of childhood hardship have stuck with him. Recently, Jeremy realised that, as a sponsor, he could help another child in the same position. He still remembers the moving moment he opened his mail to find a profile of his new sponsored student.

“When I first got that welcome pack, I was like ‘Wow, okay — this is a real child right here in Australia. And that person could potentially do so many things in this world. And I am proud and honoured to help this person out’.”

Jeremy is all too aware that the financial support he provides can mean the difference between a child getting new school shoes or their family putting dinner on the table that week. Knowing the impact he has, he encourages other young people with the means to consider sponsoring a disadvantaged student: 

“If you have the extra capacity, I think it's a good thing to help those less fortunate,” he says. “There's a lot of hurt in this world and you might as well make it a little less bad.”