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My greatest accomplishment in life is my daughter, and I'd like to tell you why.

At the end of my first marriage, and three sons later, I had no trust in men and had virtually decided that I would spend my life alone, raising my sons, and be happy to do so. However, things don't always turn out the way you think, and three years later I remarried. One year to the day after we were married we had a baby daughter, and you can imagine my disbelief and joy in finally having a precious baby girl.

Prior to having my daughter, I always believed that our children were a chip-off-the-old-block', so to speak. Now I know that's not so. At the age of 17 my daughter decided to sponsor a child through World Vision and, against my wishes, went ahead and did it anyway. I was concerned because she was studying for her Tertiary Entrance Exams (Year 12) and wondered how she intended to pay her monthly installments. She immediately got a part-time job, which ended up being three part-time jobs, and then participated in the 40 Hour Famine conducted by World Vision. She raised so much money that she qualified as a finalist in the Youth Ambassador competition, which she subsequently went on to win. Winning the competition meant that she traveled to Mozambique, Africa, with other state winners and staff of World Vision. This trip, and what she saw, changed her life forever. Back home, I watched her prepare her speeches for seminars and listened to her speak at schools and my heart was so full of pride for this wonderful human being that is my daughter.

The following year my daughter traveled alone to South Africa, where she worked as a volunteer for two weeks, then flew (again alone) to Kenya where she had arranged with local World Vision staff to take her to meet her sponsored child. This of course was an amazing experience for her and she was made an honorary member of the Masai tribe and welcomed into the home of her sponsored boy.

Over the past few years my daughter has supported (with her own earnings from her part-time jobs) many of her own projects in Mozambique and Kenya and sends endless gifts and letters to the families of the six children she now sponsors.

She is only 23 years of age, still studying at University, and proving to everyone around her that we can all make a difference if we so desire. She never pushes her thoughts or ideas onto anyone else she just goes about her business in a quiet, dignified manner and earns the admiration and utmost respect of everyone she meets.

Stacey is an amazing, giving, confident, self-assured young woman, and a wonderful daughter to me as well. She loves and protects me, helps me without my ever having to ask and instinctively knows when I need her company. I don't know what I did to deserve a daughter like Stacey, but it must have been something wonderful because I feel truly blessed.

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