It was no surprise that Tiana was expelled from her high school. From a broken home, she grew up surrounded by excessive drug and alcohol use.
By the time she was 14, Tiana had left school and was enrolled in the Alternative Education Programme run by VisionWest’s Education Community Training Centre (ETC). Her tutor explains, “When Tiana turned 15 something changed. It was like a maturity switch had been flipped on. She threw herself into her study and did really well. After a while, she switched to our Hospitality Course and, again, did well.”
Studying is not easy, however, when you’ve seen the money that can be earned by selling drugs and live amidst the trappings of that lifestyle. It wasn’t long before Tiana drifted away from ETC. But she came back.
“Amazingly,” says her tutor, “Tiana returned. This time she was even more determined. She completed her Level 2 NCEA qualification in Hospitality. This gave her the confidence to apply for a job. Now she’s employed and learning to drive a forklift! Sometimes, all young people like Tiana need is someone who believes in them and says, ‘Go for it. You can do it.’”
A transformed life – that is the only way to describe Tiana. And, it was your generosity that made it possible. Thank you for caring enough to donate so that Tiana and others like her can turn their lives around and create a new future for themselves.
*Name changed for privacy.
Click here to find out about Visionwest’s youth training and employment programmes.