The Punchbowl teen has been dedicating her time to volunteering for several years and has started her own kids’ group ‘Get up Kids’ to get other local children involved.
“I noticed a lot of kids were spending far too much time on technology, and thought this would be a great way to get up, get out of the house and give back to the community,” Raifa said.
The group of 15 kids between the ages of seven and 14 years old, get together during the school holidays and volunteer their time to various organisations in NSW, including Strawkling, AusMap and Greater Sydney Landcare.
Their latest challenge was a 13-kilometre wild walk with Kids Giving Back to raise funds for care packages to be delivered to the homeless.
After being nominated by her proud mother, Raifa was awarded CBCity’s 2021 Kindness award for her commitment to helping the community.
“It was great to be recognised. It meant I could raise awareness among other children about the importance of giving back,” she said.
Nominations for this year’s Children and Youth Awards are now open, and the City of Canterbury Bankstown is on the hunt for more little local legends like Raifa.
Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour says the awards are about recognising the valuable contributions that young people make to the City and encouraging them to keep up the good work.
Nominations close 5pm, Sunday, October 16. Details, nominations: cb.city/CYAwards.
