Funeral for Rithish

Nathiya Yogeswaran is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Tragically on Sunday 25 July, a Tamil refugee family lost their son Rithish Kirushnaneethan, aged four, in a Dandenong house fire. Rithish’s two siblings, aged 9 and 3, thankfully survived with only minor physical injuries.

The family first arrived in Australia in 2012, fleeing the oppressive Sri Lankan state. They were first detained in Christmas Island and then Adelaide. They have been on a bridging visa for 9 years.

The father of the family had been taking work wherever he could find it, and the family moved from city to city. They were most recently in Perth until arriving in Melbourne just a month ago. They had recently been settled into new accommodation with furnishings. This has all been destroyed.

Their entire savings and belongings are gone, as well as their loss of their dear son Rithish. They barely escaped with the clothes on their back.

We are fundraising for Rithish’s funeral expenses, as well as immediate accommodation, furniture, clothing, and food for the family. All proceeds go directly to the family.

If you would like to donate directly, please contact Barathan Vidhyapathy (0434 690 551).

We are currently NOT collecting household items, clothes, toys, or furniture. This will be done once permanent accommodation has been sorted.