By Oliver Lees
A not-for-profit organisation set up by a group of mates is helping Sunbury families get back on their feet.
Rafiki Yangu, which means ‘my friend’ in Swahili, was established earlier this year by Sunbury resident Jack Sullivan and five of his longtime friends.
Several years ago Mr Sullivan and some of his peers travelled to South Africa, where they were inspired by the words of humanitarian Nelson Mandela, who used the term ‘rafiki yangu’ in describing the importance of helping other people.
Rafiki Yangu is now working with multiple local schools and support groups, with the aim of helping anyone at a disadvantage by tailoring support to the specific needs and interests of those individuals or families.
“We’re just a local not-for-profit trying to support individuals that have fallen on hard times,” Mr Sullivan said.
“From there, we sit down with a family. We discuss their current situation, their goals and interests, and find the areas where we might be able to help.
“Recently we helped a mother and daughter who were interested in yoga. We went down to Yoga 101 and through the foundation we were able to purchase a membership.
“This was right when we started and we had nothing, so Michelle [from Yoga 101] also donated an extra six month membership to the family.”
Now officially registered as a charity, Mr Sullivan said he’s hopeful the organisation can continue to grow to service the community wherever necessary.
“There’s a lot of times where people are coming to us and although we can’t do too much, we help point them in the right direction,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we’re just six ordinary guys who want to provide a bit of joy and for people to know that there’s someone thinking about them.”
Rafiki Yangu has created a GoFundMe Page, with all proceeds going directly toward their work in the community.
Details: bit.ly/3Atixuw
