This is Ilham's story

Ilham was excited when she got approved for a fruit picking visa to be able to work on farms in Australia. She knew of some friends who were making up to $300 a day and she dreamt of being able to earn significantly so she could not only afford to pay for her children's tuition fees, but give them a change in life that they deserved.

Ilham is a single mother, in developing country, with two children aged 15 and 12. While Ilham was not wealthy, she was a hard worker and did everything she could to give her children the very best opportunity in life. She made enough to get by every month, but she dreamt of sending her children to a really good school so they could stand a chance to get into a good university. Unfortunately she was not making enough money to afford the tuition fees for the good schools. Ilham planned to leave her children with her mother and travel to Australia for 3 months to earn an additional income by picking fruits in farms. Further the farm would cover the cost of air tickets to and from Australia, as well as provide accommodation for all workers. Ilham did not hesitate to accept the opportunity.

Unfortunately, once Ilham started work in Australia, she discovered she had severe allergies to fruit. She tried to persevere through it but one day she ended up in hospital due to severe wheezing and she realized she could not continue picking fruit. The farm suggested she go back home and while the cost of her flight tickets were covered, due to increasing number of Covid cases, she would now need to undergo a 2 week quarantine which she could not afford. Further, she did not want to return empty handed as she had promised her family that this trip would change everything for them.

Ilham wanted support so she could find a place to stay, and find some alternate casual work for the next few months so she could make as much money as possible before her visa expires. She found out about NZF through a friend and reached out for help.