• After years of roaming the streets as a vendor, a chance meeting changed Jay Semo's life forever. 

At a cafe down at the Accident Compensation Corporation Building he crossed paths with American Marlo Stivers; a meeting that has since taken him off the streets and enrolled him in school.

Thanks to sponsorship by Ms. Stivers, he is now living with a family at Sinamoga.

In an interview last week, Jaysaid that Ms. Stivers was the good samaritan who sponsored his educational needs and is paving the way for him to fulfill his future goal of becoming a lawyer. 

Ms. Stivers has been in Samoa for a year and is the President of a telecommunications network company, SmartGlobe Free.

She told the Samoa Observer that, wherever she finds herself in the world, she aims to help the neediest. 

"Jay is a street kid; I’ve never seen him sell anything but I’ve always tried to help the other children as well but there’s a lot of other business owners that have helped him [too]," she said

"But what I’m finding since I became interested in Jay is that the money, I was giving to him wasn’t going to him, it was going to the family that was hosting him so I didn’t understand why he wasn’t in school and why he was always filthy, I couldn’t comprehend that." 

Ms Stivers said that Jay had become more of a beautiful story of hope in a crisis situation. 

"When I found out that he was living at the clock the first time, I realized that we had to do something.

"I took him to Mamas the first time and got him clothes, and then I had my security guard wash him up."

She said that Jay looked like a normal child after he appearing

Jay moved around alot before meeting Ms Stivers and according to Ms Stivers a woman named Debbie took care of Jay even before she was ever involved with Jay. 

"There was one woman took care of him (Jay) before I was ever involved, an her name is Debbie and so we agreed that I will sponsor Jay. Jay is currently staying with her and her family at Sinamoga," she said 

"I’ll pay for taxis fares, board and get him back in school. He’s a smart kid, he deserves a good life and so Debbie agreed and she takes care of him like a mother."

Ms Stivers added that Jay is no longer allowed on the streets and has everything he needs and she will continue to sponsor his as long as e does well in school. 

"He’s not allowed on the street, he has a place where he can stay, he has his own room, they treat him like a child, he has restrictions and he has to go to school and as he continues to go to school and gets good grades, I will pay for his schooling until he graduates from law school. And so that is our deal," she added 

Ms Stivers told the Samoa Observer that she is also looking to helping all other street vendors around town once all is settled. 

"Once we launch the system, we can then allocate funds to families in need and children who are close to the same situation as Jay," she added