Like most little boys, six-year-old Luis from Paraguay must have felt quite a rush when he received his first letter from his very own car dealer and all its staff!

Melbourne’s Oakleigh Renault dealership (also Nissan and Chrysler Jeep) accepted six-year-old Luis as part of Renault’s child sponsorship partnership with children’s development agency Plan.

Dealer principal Phillip Rushby says the dealership and staff were excited to take on the responsibility of writing to Luis as part of the partnership.

Renault Australia has sponsored a total of 78 children through Plan with its dealers and staff taking on the responsibility for writing to 25 of the children.

Phil says the dealership has already received their first letter from Luis and the staff have penned a reply. “We all felt a great sense of pride to know the positive effects we can have on someone’s life,” Mr Rushby says.

The remaining 53 children sponsored by Renault are either street children or from desperately poor families from communities in Andhra Pradesh, southern India.

Plan in Australia national executive director Ian Wishart says the $39 per month sponsorship for each child goes towards Plan’s school ‘bridging’ education program and a livelihood education project that provides job skills for teenagers.

“The support from Renault means that these children, as a group, can benefit from the sponsorship program and have access to a basic education,” Mr Wishart says.

Renault Australia managing director Rudi Koenig says that Renault funds its share of the partnership with Plan by providing $10 for every vehicle sold by dealerships around Australia.

“For us, sponsoring children through Plan is about driving positive change for the world’s children because they are the future of their communities and their countries,” Mr Koenig says.

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Heather Ellis - Media Officer, Plan
0425 720 193

Phillip Rushby - Dealer Principal, Oakleigh Renault
03-9252 5000