The most vulnerable feeling that stands out for me from my schooling days is when the Principal used to hand pick the few students who had not paid their school fees for the term. I always made it on the list. To be told to go home and be denied access to education was saddening and embarrassing as I knew my parents did not have the money. I was 21 when I arrived in Australia with $60 in my wallet. I was feeling very vulnerable being away from my family in a new country, a new culture and not knowing a single person! But looking at the struggles I had left behind, nothing could distract me. I had to breath and take a big leap of faith that all was going to work out well for me despite the challenges I faced. Education was the only thing I had in mind. It was my currency at the time and it still is. This gave me a purpose and Australia gave me a reason to dream. Putting my best foot forward one step at a time, doors opened and I graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting. I could never forget where I came from, I couldn’t ignore the challenges I had left behind and I knew at the back of my mind that education was the only thing that was going to set us all free - a tool to empower young girls and women. I never gave up!

The statement “give someone a fish and you feed them for a day; teach them to fish and you feed them for a lifetime” which I had heard a lot, began to make a lot of sense to me. And educating women has many benefits. For me, I worked hard and eventually helped my siblings and cousin to get the education they rightfully deserved and to also build a future for themselves.