Marine biologist or Olympian? Charlize is thrilled by the options unfolding with her sponsor’s help!

Thanks to support from her sponsor, life is now full of options for Charlize. But that hasn't always been the case. Malina left Sydney for the Gold Coast “escaping a bad situation” and crippling cost of living. She left everything she knew, and took her four children, including the youngest Charlize to Queensland.
“My kids had been through trauma – now we were on our own.”

Things were bleak. Malina was studying teaching and money was tight. She couldn’t afford Christmas presents, let alone schoolbooks, shoes, and excursions. Charlize was very athletic. She needed quality sports shoes, but they cost too much. “We just got by,” she says.

At the toughest time, Malina seized the opportunity for Charlize, Year 2, to access Learning for Life sponsorship from someone wonderful like you. It was a powerful choice.
Not only could Charlize now get opportunities she deserved, her sponsorship also reduced the financial strain, so Malina could focus on her studies to get a teaching job.

Through her sponsorship, Charlize could choose from the Smith Family’s learning programs like student2student. She loved to read with her student buddy. “At the time, homework time was chaotic – I was studying, cooking and cleaning on my own after school, while trying to help four kids with their schooling. I think doing her reading with another young person kept it more interesting for Charlize too,” Malina says.

The results were remarkable. “With student2student, Charlize got comfortable speaking in front of someone else. Then she felt confident to do it at school,” Malina explains. Charlize eventually won an award for her public speaking.

In addition to financial assistance, sponsorship also provided Charlize with emotional support. She truly felt surrounded by her sponsor’s compassion and care, when before she’d felt isolated. Knowing her sponsor was cheering her on – wanting her to be her best – gave Charlize a sense of belonging and pride. Living so far from family and friends in Sydney, she especially loved getting letters from her sponsor. “It felt like someone still cared – and that made a difference,” Malina says.

Today Charlize is 16, in Year 10, and a world-class athlete. She was recently selected to represent Australia at an international rugby tournament in Japan. Courted by elite sports clubs and even eyeing the Olympics!

But Charlize continues to prioritise her education. With her sponsor’s help, she went on an excursion to the Great Barrier Reef that her family could not otherwise afford. “After looking at the ecosystems, she came back motivated to solve the problems of the reef!” Malina says.

Malina says she is forever grateful for sponsors like you.