"Just a moment, I've prepared some notes - I don't want to forget anything," she told me at the start of our interview.

There are few adults I've met who are so well organised, including myself.

The Indigenous Illawarra girl wants to encourage more locals to back the Smith Family's Learning for Life education support program as part of this year's back-to-school appeal.

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The program provides emotional, practical and financial help to young Australians, including Shakira and 1800 other Illawarra children.

"I want to help other kids who might need it like me, so they don't have to go without," she said.

"I want them to gain the same confidence at school I have.

"The mentor and buddy programs helped bring up my confidence.

"A student-to-student reading program in primary school program helped my reading level greatly, and I made some new friends."

Through the support of sponsors, children can receive support from their first year of primary school right through to completing tertiary studies.

Shakira hopes to continue her passion for dance, join a dance company and one day open a studio where she can teach.

Thousands of Australian children will need extra support to catch up with their peers and recover lost learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and The Smith Family needs to find 5,200 new sponsors to help.

Sponsorshipfor the Learning for Life program starts at $52 per month for a child in primary school and provides help for education supplies, personal support, and out-of-school learning and mentoring programs.

The Smith Family's Chief Executive Officer, Doug Taylor is extremely worried about the persistent and significant gaps in learning between children experiencing disadvantage and their more affluent peers.

"We are particularly concerned about the students whose education was impacted during those critical transition years of early primary school and between primary and high school, who've spent more time learning remotely than in the classroom," he said.

"The Grattan Institute's analysis of the 2021 NAPLAN results shows on average, Year 9 students from a disadvantaged background are more than four years behind their advantaged peers in reading in both NSW and Victoria.

"This can and must be addressed through the use of evidenced-based initiatives involving students, parents, schools and community organisations."

To sponsor a child through The Smith Family visit https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/sponsor-a-child

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