A little kindness goes a long way

The Ralph family are still collecting donations to assist Isaac with his dreams of becoming a journalist. Pic: GABRIELLA PAYNE 246572_07

By Gabriella Payne

Back in August, an unassuming daffodil stand on the side of the road in Cockatoo caught the Gazette’s eye, and beyond the bright yellow flowers lay a truly heartwarming story.

For the past couple of years, the Ralph family (Nick, Lisa and their two children Harper and Arabelle) had been tirelessly fundraising in whatever way they could to help a young friend on the other side of the world – Isaac Mukisa, an aspiring journalist.

Ever since Nick (a photographer for World Vision) met Isaac (a young, passionate Ugandan man) in 2019, he and his family had gone out of their way to ensure Isaac gained an education and achieved his lifelong dreams – and what better way to fundraise than by selling daffodils?

Nick reminisced on that night in Uganda in 2019 when he told Isaac that he and his family back home in Australia were going to help the young man go to university.

“That night I told him, he was basically flawed,” Nick said.

“He’s had a hard life, he’s experienced trauma and was forced out onto the streets where he lived for a couple of years – but after that

rough turn, he basically said ‘enough’s enough’ and signed up as a volunteer with World Vision in Busia, Uganda, which is where we met.”

“So he’s a bit of a success story because he’s a young guy, and he’s able to articulate himself and he’s really turned his life around,” he said.

Now, with the helping hands of the Ralph family, Isaac is a proud journalism student at the Uganda Christian University and is well on the path to achieving his dreams, as he hopes to become “a voice for the voiceless”.

Through the kindness of their hearts and “a lot of hard work”, the Ralphs have so far managed to support Isaac through his degree since 2019, paying for his board and food on top of the education costs – and they are still tirelessly fundraising for the young man.

A Facebook fundraiser set up by the Ralphs to help Isaac complete his final years of study is still taking donations.

To donate, head to mycause.com.au/p/260235/university-fund-for-isaacmukisa-of-uganda or follow Isaac’s journey at facebook.com/isaacsuniversityjourney/