How Jezzie's Starlight Wish is helping other children’s wishes come true

If you had one wish, what would it be?

A new car, house, a holiday - a better job?!

Many of you might be familiar with Starlight Children’s Foundation that grants children with serious and terminal illness with a wish. If you were selected for a Starlight Wish, you could wish for anything like a new laptop or cubby house, or even meeting your celebrity idol to help ease the burden of going through treatment and surgery and instead create some happy memories during tough times.

But what if instead of using your wish to help yourself, you used your wish to help others and put their happiness first?

Introducing our mini hero, Jezzabella.

Jezzie (image provided)

At the age of 8, Jezzabella - or Jezzie for short - was offered the chance to make a Starlight Wish having been diagnosed with Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) at just 18 months old.

ADEM is an autoimmune disease with traits similar to Multiple Sclerosis, that has affected Jezzie her whole young life. A disease which she describes as, “cerebral palsy that affects my legs.” 

Jezzie has been battling with this condition her whole life, as she shares with us below in our interview.

But instead of using her Starlight Wish to make one of HER dreams come true, Jezzie instead wished for something else.

And this led her straight to us.


You have the power to change the world.

“Believe in your strength to change the world.”
— Bindi Irwin

Jezzie could have asked for any wish to be granted such as meeting her pop idols Ariana Grande or Shawn Mendes, but she sat on her wish for a while. She really wanted to make it count!

After thinking and reflecting for another 4 to 5 years, Jezzie tells us;

“I remember sitting at my desk thinking about what I wanted my Starlight Wish to be and I got flashbacks from when I was in the Philippines and I saw the people who were homeless on the street and what my cousins had to do in their day to day life at their school.

Then I knew I wanted to do something to help. But I realised that I couldn't do it by myself because I didn't have the money. I am just a kid, I then thought I had my Starlight Wish and it just felt right!

I then thought about what is really important to me, then my education crossed my mind and something in my mind just clicked and I started writing my letter to Starlight”.

Jezzie’s letter to Starlight Children’s Foundation (used with permission)

“I think my Starlight Wish has always been something I've thought about but my dream has always been to help people, it has always been to be there for others”.

Jezzie and her extended family in the Philippines

Giving children overseas the chance at an education.

In August 2020, the Starlight Foundation connected Jezzie with School for Life and in doing so helped to grant Jezzie’s wish - “for children overseas to go to school get an education and have a chance!”

At the age of 13, Jezzie is sponsoring a student and a teacher at one of our schools through her Starlight Wish. Her self-less, caring and compassionate act will no doubt have a ripple effect that will impact not only the lives of her sponsor student and sponsor teacher, but the lives that these individuals will influence.

Not only will these lives be changed, but the generations that follow will be transformed too.

Having such gratitude and an understanding of how tough children in developing countries have it compared to children here in Australia might be considered uncommon for someone Jezzie’s age. We sat with her recently to find out a little bit more about our mini hero and why helping others is so important to her.

OUR INTERVIEW WITH JEZZIE

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?
”
— Dr Seuss

SFL - Tell us a little bit about yourself, Jezzie… What do you get up to in your day to day and what do you enjoy doing (hobbies, interests etc)?

Jezzie - I was born in 2008 making me 13 years old this year. I am half Australian and half Filipina! When I was 18 months old I got a brain injury and that affected the way my nerves communicate to my brain which makes my legs have a mind of their own.

In my 13 years of life I've had countless visits to the hospital and I've had botox in my legs around 25 times to relax the muscles. In 2019 I had multi level corrective surgery, the recovery process as I've been told is going to be my whole life.

I always have to work at it. I've already had amazing results. My walking is much better than before and I'm much stronger. I have my days where my walking isn't as good and I'm tired and in pain but I believe it's how I get up from those days which shows my strength.

In my day to day life I go to school from 9:00 to 3:30 then after I have a 30-minute break, I go to the gym and do my exercises, watch some TV shows when I get home and then it’s time for dinner. My personal favourite dinner choice is pasta! Then I do my homework and after that sometimes I do my chores.

On the weekend I like to go outside with mum in the garden or I ask dad if he needs any help with fixing stuff up. But when I'm lucky on the weekends I get to have a friend over and that's when I really get to just be a kid and play games and talk with my friends.

When I grow up my dream job is to be a singer and entertain people with music. I also want to educate people with the music I write. I would like to be about helping people and the world, so my other dream job is to be a doctor so I can help save people's lives. 

I love music! My favourite singers are Shawn Mendes, Ariana Grande, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Camila Cabello, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik.  My favourite model is William Franklyn Miller. He also is an actor and he's really cool. In lockdown I've been painting a lot and I love learning about history.

I also love swimming and anything to do with the water.

SFL - What does education mean to you?

Jezzie - Education is important to me because it’s important for people to know certain things in life. People also need to know how to sustain a healthy lifestyle and basic things to know when going into the workforce. It is also important that kids are around their friends and school is the best place to meet friends.

SFL - What inspired you to support School for Life?

Jezzie - I found out about School for Life after I wrote my letter to Starlight. They suggested that School for Life would be the best organisation to support to make my dream come true.

I love how School for Life makes sure every child does go to school, and that they are safe, happy and healthy. I also love how they make sure people eat and also the way they teach people and communities how to be self sufficient and how to be there for themselves. 

I am so thankful that School for Life is the organisation we went with because what you guys do is so amazing and life-changing. 

SFL - Can you tell us a bit about how you're supporting School for Life currently?

Jezzie - Currently I am supporting School for Life in many ways. I am sponsoring a student and a teacher in Uganda.

I am an advocate so I started an Instagram page called Jezzie_dreams where I share with people what School for Life does and how they can also help.

I am also trying to find any other ways I can help to raise more funds, like doing cake stalls or helping in new things that School for Life does.


SFL - Can you tell us a bit about your plans to further ensure other children like yourself get a quality education?

Jezzie - In the future I am hoping I can start my own charity and I also want to volunteer my time to help other charities and people, but that's in the far future.

In the more immediate future I am hoping to have a bake sale to raise funds. Also I am hoping to have a School for Life experience/cultural day at my school where we eat traditional Ugandan food. We can do some African art and a presentation on School for Life to help students at my school to understand what life is like for others.

SFL - Why is it important to you that others who are less fortunate than you get a good quality education as well?

Jezzie - I believe that every person deserves a great life. So I believe that everyone deserves a good quality education. Every person is a good person. You can always find it in their heart so every person deserves the same. 

SFL - Would you mind talking about the special Zoom call that was arranged for your birthday? What was the experience like for you?

Jezzie - I can't really explain how I felt from my birthday Zoom. I had such a rush of emotions. The song that was sang is so important to me, "A Little Too Much" by Shawn Mendes. The song talks about a girl going through a lot and who is tired, but keeps going and I think that really reflects what I do on a day to day basis and what the kids in Uganda do on a day to day basis. 

The most important thing I want the children in Uganda to be aware of is that I am here and I am going to support them through everything they are going through and even though I don't know them I am their friend. The birthday Zoom really made me feel like a friend. I really did feel connected at that moment as well as overwhelmed with the amount of effort they went through to make that happen. I am really thankful.

We are so thankful too for the kind-hearted supporters, like Jezzie, who make up the School for Life family. You truly blow us away!

Jezzie is currently fundraising to help support School for Life programs to educate poverty out of existence and ensure as many children as possible can experience the joy of going to school.

If Jezzie’s story has inspired you, you can check out her fundraising page here to make a donation.

Success Stories
Goretti

Sweet and shy Goretti lives with her aunt, uncle and cousins in a small house in the local village. When Goretti was younger, she moved in with her aunt and uncle because her parents could no longer look after her. She was one of our first students at Katuuso Primary, starting in 2011 when she was just 4 years old. Now, Goretti is in Senior One at Mbazzi High School, and is relishing the honour of being a high school student in her community - something that is taken for granted in Australia, but in Uganda, represents freedom and opportunity. Goretti also loves attending School for Life because she hopes to one day become a pilot in Uganda - a dream which she knows can only be reached with the help of a good education.

Violah

Violah has been at School for Life since since she was six years old. Sadly, Violah has experienced hardship no child should ever deal with. Her Dad passed away three years ago, leaving her Mum without the financial means to support her family - so she left Violah and her siblings with their elderly grandmother. Every day, Violah has to wake up at 5am to fetch water, cook meals and make sure that her younger sisters are properly looked after. Then she walks half an hour to get to school. Despite this adversity, Violah has flourished at school and has made many friends. She loves that School for Life is "helping me to build a future". After finishing school, Violah hopes to become a teacher to help other children.

Umar

Umar is one of our best performing students at Mbazzi Riverside High School - but life has not always been easy for Umar. His father abandoned the family in 2015, leaving his mother to struggle to support her five children on her own. School for Life has provided Umar with opportunities that may never else have eventuated for him. Umar begun his journey with School for Life at Katuuso Primary School, where his academic ability was quickly revealed. Now, he is a thriving member of our Senior 1 class and a formidable wing on the football team. With a love for mathematics, Umar is set on studying electronic engineering after finishing his senior studies - a goal which he is the first to admit is now within reach thanks to the skills and resources provided to him by School for Life.

Rose Nambooze

Rose is a 32‐year‐old single mother of one. She started working with SFL in 2013, after taking part in our tailoring training program. Prior to working with us, she was unemployed and living in her father's home helping to care for her father, who had cataracts, and his farm.
Thanks to her full time employment, Rose was able to save enough money to pay for an eye operation and restore her father's sight, allowing him to return to work as a mechanic. Now, Rose has moved into her own home and no longer relies on her father financially. 

Joseph

Joseph is one of our Special Needs teachers at Katuuso. After surviving a severe case of malaria at age four, he was left permanently deaf. He was raised by his single mother and attended a nursery school for the handicapped and later transferred to a school for the Deaf in Kampala. He eventually mastered sign language and pursued a university degree in education. Joseph decided to become a teacher so that he could give the gift of education to others who are hearing impaired.

Teddy Namatovu

Teddy is a participant in the Kumi Tailoring Program and four of her five children attend Katuuso Primary School. She and her husband farm two acres of land, which supplies fluctuating revenue. Participation in the Kumi Tailoring Project has secured income to reliably pay for school fees, nutritious meals and renovations to the family home. Teddy has gained a great deal of self-esteem from her ability to support her family and she takes pride in independently financing the education of all five children. Teddy has also been working on her numeracy and administration skills. She was appointed Treasurer of the tailoring group and will be responsible for keeping records of their savings.

Flaviah Nassaazi

Flaviah Nassaazi started working at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School in 2011. Prior to cooking at the school, she and her husband were subsistence farmers. They worked tirelessly for small yields and minimal income to support their family. Flaviah's cooking job not only enables her to pay school fees for her children, but she has also invested in a local barbershop business. She is now passing her cooking skills onto her eldest son Frank, who has also joined the school's cooking staff. Flaviah and her husband attend the adult literacy classes offered weekly at the school. Her English and reading have improved immensely, as well as her confidence.

Rachel

In 2010, Rachel began as a cleaner at Katuuso Primary and Vocational School. She was working to save money to study to be a teacher at University. Thanks to Barrie and Simone Goldsmith, her dream of studying came true and she is now fully qualified.