I was a kid in care...NOW I'M A VOICE FOR HOPE!

After a difficult start in life, Sydney-anne's helping others

- Kasia De Vydt-Jillings

As a teenager, Sydney-anne Martin would have given anything to have her own camera and study photography.

But fostered by multiple families through a church, she didn't feel there was anyone to buy the equipment she needed to take the class.

“You had to have your own camera and it didn't enter my brain that someone would help me get one,” recalls Sydney-anne.

Now 31, she's working in her dream job as the creative and communications content lead for VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai, an organisation working to advocate and improve outcomes for children and youth in care in New Zealand.

Sydney-anne goes out of her way to ensure other teens in similar situations to her don't miss out on opportunities.

“Not a lot of people trust kids in care with a camera that's worth thousands of dollars, but I can teach them how to use it,” she says. “It's been awesome to grow my own skills, become a better creative myself and bring along young people who are passionate but it's not accessible to them in care.”