It wasn't until Rosana Esposito was on the brink of poverty and homelessness that her dream of starting up a charity finally became a reality, ABC News reports.
Relocating as a young woman from her home country of Venezuela to the Gold Coast in 2017, she was excited to start a new adventure.
But things didn't quite go to plan for Rosana.
Like many Australians at the onset of the pandemic, she suddenly lost her job.
Struggling to make ends meet and on the brink of homelessness on the Gold Coast, she found that she wasn't eligible for government benefits.
But there were kindnesses all around her.
"If my landlord hadn't cut the rent, I wouldn't have been able to survive," she recalls.
She is acutely aware of how this generosity saved her.
At this point, Rosana had a roof over her head but no means to feed herself.
And that's when she found the answer to her problems in an unlikely place — the bottom of a rubbish bin.
As she began riding her pushbike along the streets, she found she could collect a haul of 10-cent recyclable containers.
And they weren't just in the bins. They were also on the beach and the road.
By recycling the bottles at her local depot, Rosana typically earned $30 to $40 each week, which helped cover her weekly bill for basic food items such as rice, tuna and pasta.
Rosana wanted to help others, too
She found a new job as a chef once restrictions eased, allowing her to finally get back on her feet.
But she wanted to give back to the community she had left behind.
Political upheaval has led to the deterioration of many Venezuelans' quality of life, with hyperinflation rendering salaries almost worthless.
Shortages of food and medical supplies are common, and water is hard to come by.
So Rosana has continued recycling the bottles to help struggling communities in her home country.
She says that since the pandemic, she's been particularly worried about the welfare of children in Venezuela.
She says her charity, People For People, strives to "show [children] that there are people who care".
Rosana's mission to raise funds for Venezuela grew with the help of her friends, who would keep bottles and cans aside for her to collect in her spare time.
Rosana's message to others is clear.
She wants everyone to know that you don't need loads of resources to help others. Sometimes motivation can take you further than you realise.
FULL STORY
Woman overcomes poverty to start Gold Coast charity helping struggling people in Venezuelan homeland (ABC News)
PHOTO
Rosana Esposito collects containers around Miami Beach on the Gold Coast.(ABC Gold Coast: Steve Keen)
