Donate to educate

IN IRAQ, HER DAD was a lawyer and her mother an accountant. But when Maha Wilson’s parents arrived in Australia as refugees their qualifications meant nothing, and with three children to support, the young family found themselves in financial stress. “In short, we were getting bombed left, right and centre, so we fled Baghdad during the Gulf War in 1991. We had left because we had no choice,” Maha, an actress whose credits include Doctor Doctor and On The Ropes, recalls. “None of us could speak English, Dad had just $100 in his pocket and we had to start again.” That, she says, is when The Smith Family extended a helping hand – and why she’s campaigning for its Back To School Appeal.

Through the charity, Maha and her siblings were provided with a sponsor who covered their school fees, the cost of school uniforms, books and more. The service aims to break the cycle of poverty for disadvantaged students, but Maha says it did far more than supplying her with the educational basics. “They made sure we never felt different,” she says, adding the sponsorship meant tutoring in subjects she struggled in, regular career advice and mentorship. “They never gave you a chance to slip through the cracks. Every time you were falling it was like, ‘Okay, we’ve got you.”

One in six Australian children live in poverty, and The Smith Family sponsorship program already supports 43,000 disadvantaged kids but aims to add 4000 more. Head to thesmithfamily.com.au/ sponsor to find out how you can help.