Impact in Action

I am blessed having you all. I write with my gratitude for your continued support of my girls Shaiza and Sonia and an update from beautiful Temotu, Solomon Islands. 

I will always repeat, that am so grateful and thankful for the support your team has rendered to my family that has helped lessen my worries and stresses. 

Last year rendered some challenges but knowing I had your support lifted my spirits. Namely our covid lockdowns meant the schools were closed for a few months in early 2022. Unfortunately, the girl’s school, ‘ACE School’, was unable to financially recover from the shutdowns and the school was closed. They thought they would reopen but this did not happen. This was a shock for us all. At the end of last year the girls moved back to the local village school which is not ideal as it is not a good school academically and there is bullying there. There is another very good school in my Province that is the Seventh Day Adventist School. I’m trying to get the girls space there, but it is hard because it’s currently full. 

I’m always thankful to all the Zonta ladies on the Northern Beaches. I continue to pray that God will bless you all abundantly. Shaiza and Sonia continue to study hard because they know they have many women supporting their future and they don’t want to let you down. 

"High School students - Study Grant recipients are given the ticket to their Y12 Formal and we received a photo: ‘Here we are at the Formal, thank you so much to Zonta for our tickets.’ They didn't tell us they did not have a formal dress to wear, but they looked beautiful and had a great time anyway."

"Meeting with a student who was living in a garden shed of another student while her parents had gone interstate was asked if she needed anything else? Food was the reply! Money was placed in the school canteen account and an evening meal packed for her to collect!"

"Hi, remember me? I was in transitional housing with my three small children, having just left the refuge. I was sharing the flat with my sister who was in the same position. The Manly Daily had a small ad on the back page offering Study Grants to women who needed financial help. I applied and you supported me in completing my accountancy course. Ten years later, my children are in high school, and I have a great job - how can I give back to you? I came to your Empowering Women Dinner as a guest speaker with my son and left us all in tears!"

A few years back, a brave young mom with three small children took a huge leap from a Women’s Refuge into Transitional Housing, all in hopes of building a better future for her family. While navigating the uncertainties, she came across information about a Zonta study grant and saw a spark of hope. Despite the challenges she faced, she dreamed of studying Accountancy.

When the Zonta Committee Chair first met her, she was hesitant and struggled to make eye contact, weighed down by her tough situation. But the Club saw her potential and gave her $1,000 to kickstart her studies.

A year later, the change was incredible. The once reserved woman had grown into a confident, thriving student. By the end of that year, she graduated, and her future was looking bright.

Fast forward 15 years, and we received a heartwarming call:

“Remember me? I’m now the CFO of a major company. How can I thank you?” She came by in person, attending our dinner with her now-grown son, and expressed her gratitude. Her company even generously supported our fundraising efforts for several years, completing a full circle of support.