Coming from a low-income household with divorced parents, Jeremy found it difficult to share his problems with his friends and family, resorting to keeping his problems to himself. At 13, Jeremy felt that he would be a burden to those around him. At home, he felt the need to be a dutiful child to his parents by trying to excel in his studies and helping with the chores, all to receive love from them. 

Residing in the vicinity of the REACH Youth Powerhouse, Jeremy found the REACH Youth Mentoring Programme and Drop-in programmes. Through the mentoring programme, Jeremy was assigned a mentor to check in on his well-being and development on a monthly basis. REACH Youth Service’s youth workers in charge of the programme also met with him to learn more about his background and helped him process the emotions he was facing. 

With the help of a supportive community, Jeremy feels safer and encouraged. While he’s still growing in confidence, Jeremy has learned how to better express his thoughts and emotions more clearly to those around him.