Can you lend a helping hand this Christmas ? 🎄🎄🎄

Hi....my name is Monica xx

I have been badly affected and struggling with the emotional and financial impact of this virus... I have so much faith that I am going to make it through all of this but it has been a really difficult time for me and millions of other people around the world. I know that everyone is struggling and when I woke up this morning I jumped out of bed and felt that I want and need to reach out and ask for some help for my family.

I have 2 children, Liam is 9 and Kayleigh is 8, she has autism. I have been home-schooling my 2 children the whole year, they have been with me and I am so happy to say that they both passed their grades. Liam is going to Grade 4 next year and Kayleigh is going to Grade 1 so I am proud of myself for being able to do that for both of my children with the help of my parents.

Their father, my ex husband has moved away and I can't rely on him financially at all and I lost my boyfriend in June to the virus after a 3 year relationship,, he passed away. I don’t want to get into that and the grief that goes with that… >>> So…. I’m a single mom now and I have all the expenses that go with that. I paid ZAR 16 000 in school fees) to get my daughter Kayleigh with autism up to date with school fees so she could complete and pass this year at her special needs school, I paid for airfares up and down to Johannesburg to my mom with the kids but that didn’t work out for us because my Dad had a stroke a couple years ago and doesn’t cope well around children. I had to come back to Port Elizabeth anyway because I was told the children need to come back to their schools to do face-to-face assessments or they would have both failed the year so the answer was clear to me that we needed to come back and they passed the year, so it was the best and actually the only choice 😊 It was good to find a way forward at this point, and I know that was all God’s doing ❤

I feel my problems go beyond Covid19, I had my daughter at home with me the whole of last year too, 2019, also maintenance issues with their Dad, in out of court so still trying to pay my lawyer off for that.. So she almost missed 2 years of school and she has autism, but she got through this year thanks to my mom and my dad and us working together to make a plan and we did it.I’m reaching out for a little bit of help now though, not just for my kids and I, but for my parents.

I’ve been in Travel for 23 years, I’ve always had that and been self sufficient and I’ve never needed help until this year, the virus has completely ripped my income away from me, as people are just not wanting to travel. I have tried but travel is a dead-end at the moment. I have sent my CV for receptionist jobs to a few places but people aren't really employing now over Christmas but I will keep at it and keep trying.
I found a 1 bedroom flat for the 3 of us to share and we have been back in Port Elizabeth for 3 months now. I paid the first months rent, and my mom has paid 2 months rent after that, they have been paying my WiFi every month too so I could continue to try and work and home-school the kids.

I’m reaching out. Please will you help us in any way possible, Every little bit helps and will go towards alleviating some of this debt. My mom is retiring this year and my Dad has been living only on a pension for the last 10 years so they will both be living off a pension. So it will not only help me and my children, but my parents too.

The kids and I don't have transport because my boyfriend and I were sharing his company car and they took that back when he passed away in June so we have been ubering sometimes but mostly walking.

I am in a lot of debt with everything because of what I have had to take on this year.

A lot of people are going to be happy to see the back of 2020. I know it has been a very difficult year for everyone. I can't give anything back right now, only my appreciation and deepest gratitude. I leave a song that I think is perfect for 2020, I listen to it often, it gives me faith and strength. Maybe you also need it during these times, I hope you enjoy it .. ❤

Have a Merry Christmas and Stay safe xxx