Teresa’s Journey to Success: “I knew nothing about managing money”

Teresa knew nothing about managing money.  She hadn’t needed to.  She’d left the family home immediately after she married, and her husband had controlled all their money.  She said, “So when he up and left, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know anyone here to ask for help.  He had just always given me money to buy things for the house and that’s it.”

Teresa, a South African immigrant, was left without money or support, but needed to provide for their two children.

“I was never in control of the money business at home, he controlled everything, so I had no idea how to work with money, or even the kind of accounts we had. I had a little nervous breakdown with everything that went on.  I didn’t know how the [benefit] system worked in New Zealand, so my Pegasus support worker recommended Peter, a Financial Mentor at Kingdom Resources, to get help,” explained Teresa.

“Peter was very helpful. At our first meeting I couldn’t even talk to begin with, I was just upset, and he let me be, just asking me if I needed a hot drink… it was like a breather,” said Teresa.   “He gave me good advice, both as a professional and with his experience as a parent.  I was struggling with a lot of things, and he would find someone who could help. Because my short-term memory had got affected with trauma that I went through, Peter taught me to write things down, so I had something to fall back on.”

“Finally, I am back on my feet again. I understand my money situation, and I know how to work my money – what to buy, and what to look out for.  Peter was a great help.”

Teresa went on to do Kingdom Resources “Taking the First Step” programme, and has since completed her first year to study as a counsellor.  She hopes her story will help other women in similar situations to ask for help.