Deodorant

At just nine years old, this young person was removed from her mother’s care and placed with family members alongside her siblings. What followed were years of instability, unsafe living situations and significant family trauma.

By the age of 12, she had taken on responsibilities far beyond her years, including helping care for multiple younger siblings in an unstable home environment. Eventually, she had no safe family home to turn to and experienced homelessness, spending months couch surfing and relying on others for somewhere to sleep.

She has recently secured an interim place to live, but she is now struggling to maintain it. She works casually to pay her rent, often having to prioritise work over attending school simply to keep a roof over her head. She has very limited financial or family support and is still navigating access to government assistance.

Despite everything she has experienced, she is working hard to build a safe and independent life as a teenager.