Abbas is 10 years old and just one of many who was so hungry that he couldn’t concentrate at school. He isn’t alone. Abbas was just one of 1 in 7 children in Australia that start school without breakfast.

Abbas and his family were living in a 4x6m garage for 12 months.

He would share a single bed with his mother and sister. They had no table, no heating and no facilities to cook a meal. They didn’t even have a fridge. Something had to give and one day it did. His teacher knew Abbas was upset and he admitted with tears in his eyes that his family didn’t have enough food and didn’t have a stove or a fridge.

This is one brave boy. His teacher immediately invited Abbas to their school breakfast club. It was a blessing. Abbas could enjoy a healthy breakfast each morning and his concentration in class improved dramatically.

Abbas is doing better at school and loves playing soccer every day at lunch. It wasn’t that long ago that he didn’t have the energy to do anything. He just wasn’t getting enough food to fuel his growing body.

“I enjoy going there with my friends and eating cereal and toast with vegemite or jam” – Abbas

Abbas and his family now live in a modest 3-bedroom house and it’s his goal to buy his mother a palace. No doubt to erase his memories of living in a tiny garage with no facilities and no way to cook a meal.

Foodbank helped turn life around for Abbas and his family and it all started with a bowl of cereal.