Rashidi Sumaili’s Optimist Heart: From Survival to Service
by Victor Perton, That Optimism Man

Introduction

I first met Rashidi Sumaili when he invited me to be the keynote speaker at a Future Voices graduation event in Shepparton. The room was full of bright, sparkling young people of many ethnicities, many of them the children of refugees and migrants. Their energy, confidence and hope were unforgettable. It was one of those occasions when you feel the future of Australia in the room.

From that first encounter, our friendship and collaboration grew. What began as a speaking invitation became a shared commitment to young people, community leadership, service, and the belief that people who have lived through hardship can become powerful builders of a better future.

That collaboration deepened through the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit, where Rashidi and I worked together to bring young people, community leaders and civic voices into conversation about leadership, service and possibility. Rashidi holds deep respect for Nelson Mandela’s example: courage without bitterness, leadership through service, and a determination to build bridges where others might see only division.

At the first Summit, we used some of the optimism workshop activities I had developed through The Centre for Optimism. The young people came alive. They were attentive, thoughtful, energetic and ready to contribute. You could feel the room lift. We knew then that this approach, grounded in infectiously optimistic leadership, would work again. And it did.

Over time, I came to know more of Rashidi’s own story. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he fled danger, spent years in refugee camps in Tanzania, and arrived in Australia in 2005 with his family, unable to speak English. In Shepparton, he learned the language, pursued education, supported newly arrived refugees, and helped build community connection, confidence and belonging.

For me, optimism is a belief that good things will happen and that things will work out in the end. Rashidi’s life shows that belief becomes practical. His optimism is lived, tested and useful. It is the optimism of a man shaped by hardship, strengthened by faith, and committed to service.

This interview is a conversation about Rashidi’s life, his values, his optimism, his work with young people, and his hopes for the Victoria Hospital Medical Foundation Tanzania. It is also a story about Australia at its best: a refugee family rebuilding life, contributing to community, and then seeking to serve people still facing hardship in Tanzania and eastern Congo.

Above all, this is a story of survival becoming vision, generosity and practical good. Rashidi’s life reminds us that optimism becomes powerful when people act on it: when they educate children, build partnerships, support young leaders, open doors, and help bring care, dignity and hope closer to the people who need them. His way is to serve with faith, energy and a smile, and to keep inviting others into the work of building something better.

Interview

Victor Perton: Rashidi, one question I enjoy asking is, what makes you optimistic? For you, is it your faith, your family, Ubuntu, your refugee journey, your work with young people, or something else?

Rashidi Sumaili: What makes me optimistic is my belief that no hardship is permanent. I have lived through war, fear, refugee camps, starting again in a new country, and many other challenges. Those experiences taught me that a person can suffer and still hold on to hope.

My faith gives me strength. The teachings of Jesus Christ remind me to forgive, to serve, and to believe in the goodness that is still possible in people. Ubuntu also shapes me deeply. It teaches that we are human through one another and that our lives are connected.

My family and community also make me optimistic. I have seen people with very little still share with others. I have seen refugees rebuild their lives. I have seen young people from migrant and refugee families grow in confidence and become leaders.

For me, optimism is not only thinking that good things will happen. It is choosing to keep going, to forgive, to serve, and to help others find their own strength. I believe every person can grow, change and make a positive contribution, whatever hardship they have faced.

Victor Perton: Rashidi, we have described your story as “Rashidi Sumaili’s Optimist Heart: From Survival to Service.” What does that phrase mean to you?

Rashidi Sumaili: To me, “From Survival to Service” means that hardship does not have to be the end of the story.

I had to leave my home country because of danger and persecution. I spent nine years in refugee camps in Tanzania. Life there was very difficult. Food, clean water, safety and proper living conditions were not always there.

Those years shaped me deeply. They also made me more determined to help others. I learned that hope, faith, kindness and community can keep a person moving even in very hard circumstances.

When I came to Australia, I wanted to rebuild my life, support my family and become useful to others. Service became one way I could give meaning to what I had experienced.

For me, this phrase is not only about surviving difficult times. It is about using the strength gained through those times to serve young people, refugee families, the Congolese Australian community, and communities in eastern Congo and Tanzania.

That is my optimist heart. It is the belief that suffering can be transformed into compassion, and that a life rebuilt can help rebuild the lives of others.

Victor Perton: Rashidi, before we speak about the conflict that forced you to flee, would you take us to the part of Congo that formed you? What was Fizi like, in its beauty, its hardship and its values?

Rashidi Sumaili: I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in South Kivu Province, and I grew up in the Fizi Territory. That is the place I still think of as home.

When I think about Fizi, I think first of its beauty. I think of the land, the rivers, the farms, the villages and the people. Many families live from farming. They grow cassava, rice, maize, bananas, peanuts and sweet potatoes. People work very hard, often with very little.

Fizi is also a place of community. People know one another. Families support one another. Faith, family, respect for elders and care for children are very important. Even where there is poverty, there is generosity. Even where life is difficult, people still share, pray, work and hope.

At the same time, Fizi has carried great hardship. Conflict, insecurity and poverty have made life very hard for many families. Development has been held back. Health services, education, roads and other basic supports have not been strong enough for the needs of the people. Many families have had to leave their homes because they were no longer safe.

So, when I speak about Fizi, I speak with love and pain together. It is a beautiful place, and it is a place where people have suffered. It shaped me deeply. It gave me my love of community, my concern for education and health, and my desire to help people in eastern Congo and the surrounding region.

That is why I still feel connected to Fizi. It is where I came from. It is part of my identity. It is one of the reasons I keep working for peace, health, education and practical support for communities that have been forgotten for too long.

Victor Perton: You have described Fizi with both love and pain. In 1996, you were forced to flee the Democratic Republic of Congo and later spent nine years in refugee camps in Tanzania before coming to Australia through the humanitarian program. What happened, and what helped you keep hope and stay optimistic during those years?

Rashidi Sumaili: It is still difficult for me to share the full story of why we left the Democratic Republic of Congo, because there are political and safety concerns. What I can say is that we left because of fear, persecution and the risk of serious harm.

My family had been involved in mining, fishing and farming. Some members of my family also raised their voices for rights, democracy and dignity. At that time, the government believed that people like us did not have the right to land, to speak, or to defend our place in the country, even though our ancestors had been born there. When the war began, the conflict became even more dangerous. It moved from politics into ethnic violence, and many people suffered.

Many members of my family were killed. Others disappeared, and I still do not know where they are. That pain is still with me.

I escaped at night with other family members and other families. We crossed Lake Tanganyika to Tanzania. The journey took about 12 hours. Near one of the beaches in Tanzania, the boat sank. Many people on the boat died. I was rescued. When I think about that night, I know that my life was spared for a reason.

After we reached Tanzania, the United Nations registered us and took us to a refugee camp. I first lived in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, and later I was moved to other camps, including Mkugwa Refugee Camp, because of insecurity. Altogether, I spent nine years in refugee camps.

Life in the camps was very hard. Food was limited. Clean water was not always available. Living conditions were difficult. People carried grief, trauma and fear about the future. Every family had its own story of loss.

What kept me optimistic was faith, family, community and service.

My faith helped me believe that our story was not finished. Prayer and church gave me strength when life felt uncertain. My family gave me purpose. Community reminded me that even in hardship, people can still care for one another.

Service also kept me optimistic. Through the church, I became involved in supporting women and young people in need. When you help someone else, you remember that your own life still has purpose. You are not only waiting for your situation to change. You are doing something useful with the life you have.

That experience shaped the way I now think about refugees. Refugees do not arrive empty. They carry pain, and they also carry strength, skills, faith, family love and hope. When they are welcomed and supported, they can rebuild their lives and contribute greatly to their new country.

I did not know exactly what the future would look like, and I kept believing that good things were still possible. That belief helped me keep moving forward until the opportunity came for my family to come to Australia in 2005.

Victor Perton: Do you remember the moment you found out that Australia had accepted your family? What did you feel?

Rashidi Sumaili: The process was long, confidential and complicated. In 2000, I was invited by the UNHCR office and asked questions about my journey and my family history. Later, I met government officers who had come to interview me. At the time, I did not know they were from Australia or the purpose of the interview.

When the UN officers first told me about the visit and asked if I was happy to meet them, my first thought was to say no. Because of what had happened to my family, I was afraid they might be people connected to the regime we had escaped. Later, I changed my mind and went to meet them.

I only found out that we were going to Australia about two weeks before we left. We attended a seminar delivered by the International Organization for Migration on behalf of the Australian Government. They showed us different cities in Australia and gave us a brief introduction to Australian history. It was exciting, and it also felt very new and unknown.

I was very happy to be coming to Australia. I had hope that my children would have a better education and that new opportunities would be possible for my family. I also felt that maybe my own dreams could still come true.

At the same time, I carried many questions inside myself. How would I learn a new language? How would I find work? How would I understand the systems of a new country? How would I build social and professional networks? How would I help my family settle? And how could I help other refugees who might come after us?

So, I came to Australia with gratitude, hope and many questions. I did not know what lay ahead, and I believed that a new door had opened.

Victor Perton: Rashidi, when you arrived in Australia in 2005, you had to learn English, understand a new country and rebuild your life. How did education help you rebuild, and how did it lead you into helping other refugees, families and young people in Shepparton?

Rashidi Sumaili: When I arrived in Australia in 2005, I could not speak English. Everything was new to me: the language, the systems, the culture, and even simple everyday tasks. I knew that if I wanted to rebuild my life and support my family, I had to learn.

Education became one of the most important pathways for me. I began step by step. I studied community welfare at GOTAFE, completed a Certificate III in Education at Wodonga TAFE, and later completed a Bachelor of Human Services at La Trobe University. I am now completing a Master of Social Work. Each course gave me more confidence, more knowledge and more ability to help other people.

For me, study was never only about gaining qualifications. It was about becoming useful. I wanted to understand how to support refugees, migrants, young people and families who were facing disadvantage, isolation or uncertainty. My own experience helped me understand their struggles, and my studies helped me turn that understanding into practical service.

Education is also one of the deepest values in my family. I want my children, and the young people I work with, to know that hardship does not have to decide their future. Learning can open doors. It can build confidence. It can help people find their voice, their purpose and their place in the community.

Along the way, I also took part in leadership and community development programs, including the Australian Leadership Program, the African Community Leadership Development Program, programs through Victoria University, the Not-for-Profit Board Orientation Program, Victoria Leadership, and the Centre for Optimism. These experiences helped me grow as a community leader and strengthened my belief that leadership is about service.

My studies and leadership training shaped much of my work in Shepparton and beyond. They helped me develop peacebuilding initiatives, community programs, youth leadership projects and partnerships across government, business and community organisations. They also helped me contribute to local and international work, including across the Great Lakes region of Africa.

I am grateful that this work has been recognised. In 2010, I received the Victorian Refugee Award, and in 2012, I was named one of Australia’s 100 Most Influential African Australians. Those recognitions encouraged me to keep going.

That is also what drew me into helping other refugees and newly arrived communities in Shepparton. I knew what it felt like to arrive in a new country and not understand the language, the systems or the culture. I knew how hard simple things could be at the beginning.

I wanted to help other families find their way more quickly and with more confidence. I wanted parents to feel less alone, and I wanted young people to know that their story could become a strength, not a limitation.

In Shepparton, I saw families working hard, learning English, looking for work, supporting their children and trying to belong. I wanted to walk beside them, help them connect with the wider community, and encourage them to believe that they had something valuable to contribute to Australia.

When I look back, I see that education helped me rebuild my life. It gave me tools to serve others. It helped me turn hardship into purpose.

Victor Perton: Looking back on Future Voices, what are you most proud of? What did you want young people from refugee and migrant families to feel, learn and believe about themselves?

Rashidi Sumaili: When I arrived in Shepparton, I saw many refugee and migrant families working very hard to build a new life. Parents were doing everything they could for their children, and many of the young people were bright, capable and full of potential. At the same time, I could see that they did not always have the networks, confidence or opportunities that other young Australians might have.

That is one of the reasons Future Voices became so important to me. I wanted young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds to know that their voices matter. I wanted them to meet leaders, ask questions, build confidence, understand the Australian system, and see that they could belong and contribute.

Future Voices was established in 2016 with support from the Federal Government. From the beginning, the aim was practical: help young people build confidence, connect with education and employment pathways, develop leadership skills, and feel proud of who they are.

For me, the greatest achievement of Future Voices is not only the programs we delivered. It is the confidence I saw grow in young people. It is the hope in their parents. It is the feeling that young people who may once have felt outside the system could now see themselves as part of Australia’s future.

Future Voices also helped prepare the way for the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit. The Summit became the next step: a place where young people could see leadership, service, Ubuntu and optimism come alive.

That is what makes me proud. Future Voices helped young people find their voice and use it for good.

Victor Perton: Rashidi, one of the things that stood out for me as I became more involved in helping organise and sponsor the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summits was how infectious the optimism in the room became. We asked the young people and speakers to reflect on Mandela’s own words: “I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say.” Mandela also spoke of keeping his head pointed toward the sun and his feet moving forward. What is your reflection on that optimism, and how did we help make the Summit sparkle for the young people?

Rashidi Sumaili: The Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit became one of the most important parts of our partnership. It brought together young people, community leaders, diplomats, public leaders, refugee-background leaders, business people, teachers and families around Mandela’s example of courage, dignity, forgiveness, Ubuntu and service.

For me, Mandela’s words about optimism speak very deeply. He suffered so much and still chose hope. He kept moving forward. That message was powerful for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, because many of them came from families that had known war, persecution, poverty or displacement.

What made the Summit special was the easy interaction between the young people and the keynote speakers. We had people such as the Ambassador of Ukraine, the United States Consul General, government leaders, community leaders, climbers and people who had overcome great challenges in their own lives. They did not speak down to the young people. They spoke with them, answered their questions, listened to them and encouraged them.

At Parliament House, the young people were not there as victims or guests on the edge of the room. They were there as future leaders. They stood up, asked questions, gave reflections, chaired sessions and spoke about hope, leadership, service and the future.

That is what made the Summit sparkle. It was the young people themselves: their confidence, their courage, their smiles, their questions, and the pride of their families watching them.

Your optimism activities helped give them language and confidence. They were attentive, alive and ready to contribute. You could feel the room lift as they reflected, spoke and began to see themselves differently.

Your support and sponsorship also mattered deeply. Parliament House gave the young people a powerful message: you belong here, your voice matters, your story matters, and your future matters.

For me, that is Mandela’s legacy in action. The Summit helped young people believe that hardship does not limit their future. They can keep moving forward, and they can help others move forward too.

Victor Perton: Rashidi, one of the striking things about our work together is that you drew me, and then many other interesting people, into thinking seriously about the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many had never really engaged with Congo before, its challenges, its people, its resources or its opportunities. Why has it mattered to you to build those bridges between Australia and the DRC?

Rashidi Sumaili: It matters to me because I belong to both stories now. I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Australia gave my family safety, education and the chance to rebuild.

I do not want those two parts of my life to be separate. I want to use what I have learned in Australia to help create practical connections with the people and country I still love.

Through our work together, including the Australia–DR Congo Summit in Shepparton, we helped bring new people into the conversation. Some had never really thought about the DRC before. They began to see not only the conflict and hardship, but also the people, the culture, the land, the resources, the young people, the diaspora and the possibilities.

For me, bridge-building is not about speeches. It is about relationships that lead to practical good: better health, better education, stronger communities, better governance, and more respectful partnerships between Australia and the DRC.

Many Congolese Australians still carry love for the people they left behind. Many also carry skills, language, family connections and business experience. Australia has strengths in health, education, agriculture, mining, energy, governance and community institutions. I believe there is much good we can do when those strengths come together.

Victor Perton: People in Australia read about Ebola, guerrilla war, foreign interference, and shocking conditions in some cobalt mining operations. With all of that in mind, what makes you optimistic about the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Congolese people?

Rashidi Sumaili: When people in Australia hear about the Democratic Republic of Congo, they often hear about war, poverty, Ebola, mining problems and suffering. Those things are real. I know that pain personally. I come from that region, and I know how much people have carried.

At the same time, that is not the whole story of Congo. What makes me optimistic is the Congolese people. They are strong people. They are hardworking, faithful, creative and generous. Even when life is very difficult, families still work, pray, farm, trade, educate their children, care for one another and hope for a better future.

I am also hopeful because people are still trying to find a path to peace. The Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity between the DRC and Rwanda are important to me for that reason. A peace agreement does not solve everything by itself. People still must implement it honestly, protect civilians, respect communities and rebuild trust. Yet it shows that leaders and partners are still looking for a different future for eastern Congo. That gives me hope.

The DRC also has so much possibility. It has fertile land, rivers, forests, minerals, young people, entrepreneurs and a large diaspora around the world. The country has resources the world needs, including cobalt and other minerals, and has great potential in agriculture, energy, tourism, fisheries, education, and health.

I am especially hopeful about the Congo Basin. People sometimes call it the “lungs of Africa,” and that is a beautiful way to describe its importance. It is one of the world's great rainforests. It matters for biodiversity, climate, water, communities and the future of the planet. For me, it should not only be seen as a resource to be used. It is also a gift to be protected, respected and managed wisely for the benefit of local people and the world.

For me, the real question is how the wealth and beauty of Congo can serve the people. Congo does not only need investment. It needs peace, good governance, infrastructure, education, health care and partners who respect the dignity of local communities.

I am encouraged when I see Congolese people, both inside the country and in the diaspora, wanting to rebuild. Many of us who came to Australia still love the people we left behind. We want to build bridges between Australia and the DRC in practical areas such as health, education, agriculture, energy, environment and business.

That is why I remain optimistic. I have seen suffering, and I have also seen courage. I have seen hardship, and I have also seen people keep going. The Congolese people are greater than the pain they have experienced. With peace, honest leadership and good partnerships, the DRC can build a much better future.

Victor Perton: Rashidi, looking to the future, tell me more about the Victoria Hospital Medical Foundation Tanzania. Why does this project matter so deeply to you, and when did the desire to build a hospital first begin?

Rashidi Sumaili: The Victoria Hospital project is very personal to me. It is not only an organisation or a building. It comes from my childhood, my family, my refugee journey, my faith and my desire to serve.

I was born in a village where healthcare was very limited. Many women relied on traditional midwives to deliver their babies. Those women played a very important role in rural communities, often with very little equipment or support.

The name Victoria comes from one of those women. Victoria was the traditional midwife who helped my mother deliver me. When I think about Victoria Hospital, I think about my mother, and I think about women giving birth in villages without proper medical support.

From an early age, I saw that mothers, children and families needed better access to care. I saw people who could not get proper diagnosis or treatment because they had no money and no nearby services. Some had to travel to other towns or even other countries for care, which was impossible for many families.

My faith also inspires me. I often think about the story of Nehemiah. When he saw that Jerusalem needed rebuilding, he did not only feel sadness. He organised people, gathered support and began to rebuild. That story speaks to me. When I see the health needs in Fizi, Kigoma and surrounding communities, I feel the same call: do grieve, organise, build and serve.

For me, Victoria Hospital is one way of turning survival into service. Australia gave my family safety and the opportunity to rebuild. Now I want to help bring care, dignity and hope closer to people who still face hardship.

Victor Perton: You have described the village you came from, the women relying on traditional midwives, the story of Victoria helping your mother, and your inspiration from Nehemiah’s example of rebuilding. Once that desire to build and serve became clear, how did you and your family begin turning it into action?

Rashidi Sumaili: The first practical step began around our family dinner table.

In 2016, I stood for election to Shepparton City Council. I was not elected, and afterwards my family and close friends sat together to reflect on the campaign and what should come next. In that conversation, I told them that I still wanted to serve, and that one of my deepest dreams was to build a hospital or health centre for people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the surrounding region.

That dinner became a turning point. We realised that a dream like this needed more than emotion. It needed knowledge, skills, qualifications, organisation and patience. We decided that education had to be part of the project. I wanted to continue my own studies and be an example to my children.

Over the years, that family commitment became real. My children, relatives and close friends pursued studies and qualifications in business, law, education, medicine, community development and human services. Many of the people who were part of those early conversations are now involved in the Victoria Hospital work. That gives me great joy, because the project has grown from a family dream into a shared commitment to service.

We also began with small acts of giving. Before we had a building, before we had partners, before we had equipment, we collected money from our own salaries when we had work. We provided support to women in the DRC who lacked sufficient food. We helped pay school fees for orphans. We also helped some people who needed medical treatment or referral to hospitals in other towns or countries.

That was important to us because in the area where we first wanted to begin the project, there were no proper diagnostic tools or radiology services. People could not easily find out what was wrong with them. Some needed to travel far away for diagnosis or treatment, and many families simply could not afford that. Some people died because help was too far away.

Those early acts were small compared with the full vision, and they mattered. They taught us that we could begin with what we had. We did not need to wait until everything was perfect before helping someone.

The next step was to organise properly. We formed a team of people from Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo to help guide the work, serve as board members and support registration of the organisation in Tanzania and the DRC. That gave the project a stronger structure and helped us move from family generosity to a more organised humanitarian health project.

So, the first practical steps were family, education, small acts of giving, and then proper organisation. That is how the dream began to take shape.

Victor Perton: You have taken this from a family conversation around the dinner table to something real on the ground. What has already been built or achieved in Kigoma, and what did it mean to you when you first saw the clinic standing?

Rashidi Sumaili: What gives me great joy is that this is no longer only an idea.

In Kigoma, Tanzania, the Foundation has acquired 26 hectares of land in Mahembe for future development. We have also established a site in Mwasenga, where the first building of the polyclinic has been completed.

When I saw the building standing, I felt deep gratitude. I thought about the years in refugee camps, the families who helped us, the people of Kigoma who gave us refuge, and the women and children who still need better access to care. For me, the building is a sign that a dream can become practical when people keep working together.

The clinic is in a low-income area of Kigoma City. We hope it will serve about 10,000 people, including adults, children, mothers, newborn babies and families who may otherwise struggle to reach healthcare. The first services are intended to include primary healthcare, antenatal and postnatal care, obstetric support, basic wound care and short-term observation for patients who need monitoring.

The building has been designed as a single-storey clinic. It includes a triage area, six consultation rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy, a waiting area, 15 maternal beds, a two-bed delivery room, male and female observation areas, bathrooms, laundry facilities, staff offices and administrative space.

That matters because healthcare begins with access. A mother needs somewhere safe to be seen. A child needs somewhere nearby to receive care. A patient needs somewhere to be assessed before the condition becomes worse. At first, the clinic will provide basic services and point-of-care laboratory testing, with the hope of expanding diagnostic capacity over time.

There is still more work to do before the clinic can operate fully. It needs equipment, supplies, final practical adjustments, trained staff and sustainable support. Even so, seeing the building completed gives me courage. It tells me that the vision is becoming real, step by step.

Victor Perton: The building is standing, which is a wonderful milestone, and Project C.U.R.E. has identified equipment that could help bring it to life. What still needs to happen now to turn the completed clinic into a functioning health service, and what would that mean for mothers, children and families in Kigoma?

Rashidi Sumaili: The clinic in Kigoma is nearly ready to begin, and that gives me great hope. The building is there. The community need is there. The desire to serve is there. Now we must complete the practical steps that turn a building into a functioning health service.

There are still some small structural and logistical adjustments needed, including exterior painting and minor modifications to make the facility better prepared for patients, staff and equipment. The bigger challenge is equipment, supplies and shipping. A clinic cannot serve people properly if its rooms are empty or if nurses and doctors lack the tools they need.

We have already received the first container from Australia, and I am very grateful for that support. It was an important beginning. At the same time, healthcare needs in the region are so high that the first donated equipment was insufficient to make the clinic fully operational.

Project C.U.R.E. has been very important in helping us understand what is still needed. Dr Babs from Project C.U.R.E. visited the project in Kigoma, inspected the building, met with the people involved, and assessed the additional equipment needed for the clinic to function across its departments.

The first services I most hope to provide are primary healthcare, maternal and child health, emergency triage, wound care, basic laboratory testing, short-term patient observation, and diagnostic services. These are the services that can make an immediate difference to families.

For example, in the emergency and triage area, the clinic needs basic equipment such as gurneys, stretchers, an ECG machine, suction units, dressings, gloves and minor surgical kits. In the consultation rooms, doctors and nurses need examination tables, lights, stethoscopes, thermometers, pulse oximeters, blood pressure equipment and other basic tools.

For mothers and babies, we need birthing beds, bassinets, infant warmers, fetal monitors, fetal Doppler devices, delivery kits and ultrasound equipment. These things can help mothers receive safer care before, during and after birth.

Project C.U.R.E. has made available important medical equipment, including portable X-ray and ultrasound equipment. These tools could change what is possible for patients in Kigoma. An X-ray can help diagnose fractures, infections and other serious conditions. Ultrasound can help with pregnancy care, abdominal problems and other medical concerns.

For families with very little money, diagnosis is often one of the biggest problems. If they must travel a long distance, or even to another region or country, many simply cannot afford it. Bringing diagnostic equipment closer to them can save time, reduce cost, and, in some cases, save lives.

We also need laboratory equipment such as microscopes, centrifuges, refrigerators, an autoclave and a blood analyser. We need equipment for patient observation, oxygen support, basic rehabilitation, pharmacy, administration and staff training. These may sound simple, and they are essential. A clinic depends on many practical things working together.

The most urgent next step is to ship the Project C.U.R.E. container from the United States to Kigoma. The immediate shipping cost is about US$35,000. If we can meet that cost, the equipment can begin its journey to Tanzania, and the clinic can move much closer to opening its doors.

For me, the goal is not to build something grand for its own sake. The goal is to create a place where a mother can be safely checked, a child can be treated early, a patient can receive a diagnosis without travelling far, and a family can feel that help is close.

Victor Perton: A project like this is never built by one person alone. Who have been your key partners and collaborators so far, and what further partnerships do you now need to make the clinic fully operational?

Rashidi Sumaili: You are right. This project has never been only one person. It has grown through family, community, faith, friendship and partnership.

The first partners were my own family and close friends. They believed in the dream when it was still only a conversation around the dinner table. Some contributed from their own salaries. Some pursued education and professional training to help the project more effectively. Some have become members of the Victoria Hospital organisation and continue to support the work.

The wider Congolese Australian community has also been important. Many Congolese Australians understand what it means to leave home, rebuild life in a new country, and still carry love for the people left behind. Some people in the United States with similar refugee stories have also supported the vision. This gives the project a strong diaspora heart.

You, Victor, and our friends at The Centre for Optimism have also been important to my leadership journey. You have partnered with me in leadership activities, especially through the Nelson Mandela Youth Leadership Summit and our work with young people. You have also been a guide when I needed advice, wisdom and encouragement. Sometimes what I needed most was someone to help me ask better questions, think more clearly, and keep the story grounded in optimism, service and practical action.

In Australia, several health and community partners have helped with equipment, supplies, advice and encouragement. These have included GV Health, Mercy Hospital, Cabrini Health, Epworth, Medical Pantry, Donations in Kind, Rotary Australia Repurposing Equipment through Southern Geelong, and other practical supporters. I am grateful for every organisation and person who has helped move this project forward.

Rotary Australia Repurposing Equipment Southern Geelong played a very important role. They helped coordinate the first container from Australia and supported the collection of donated computers from local schools for the Victoria Hospital Medical Foundation in Tanzania. That practical support helped us move from vision to action.

Project C.U.R.E. is now one of the most important partners. Project C.U.R.E. is a United States-based charity that helps deliver medical equipment and supplies to communities in need. It was introduced through the United States Consulate in Melbourne. Project C.U.R.E. sent Dr Babs Helen Waldam to Tanzania to visit the project, meet with board members, inspect the land, and assess healthcare needs. That visit was very important because it helped identify what equipment is needed for the clinic to function properly.

In Tanzania, we have also met regional health representatives and the Muslim University of Morogoro to discuss future partnership opportunities. The university’s health leadership has expressed support for collaboration. That is important because the long-term vision is not only to bring equipment. It is also to train people, build local capacity and strengthen healthcare knowledge in the region.

What we need now is a stronger circle of partners for the next stage. We need donors and logistics partners to help ship the Project C.U.R.E. container to Kigoma. We need health partners who can support maternal and child health, diagnostic services, emergency care, laboratory services and staff training. We need biomedical and technical support to help install, maintain and use equipment safely. We need universities and training institutions to help develop local health workers. We also need partners who can help with governance, planning, accountability and sustainable funding.

For me, the best partnership is not charity from far away. It is a bridge. It brings together Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia and the United States around a practical purpose: helping people receive care, dignity, and hope close to home.

Victor Perton: So, if someone reading this wants to help, what is the practical support needed now? What would that support make possible for patients and families in Kigoma?

Rashidi Sumaili: The most immediate practical need is to move from a completed clinic building to a functioning health service.

The building is there. The need is there. Project C.U.R.E. has made medical equipment and supplies available. Now we need to ship the container from the United States to Kigoma and complete the practical steps needed to open the clinic safely.

The immediate shipping cost is about US$35,000. That is the priority. If we can meet that cost, the equipment can begin its journey to Tanzania, and the clinic can move much closer to serving patients.

For families in Kigoma, that could make a real difference. It could mean a mother receiving antenatal care closer to home. It could mean a child being treated earlier. It could mean a patient receiving a basic diagnosis without having to travel far away. It could mean health workers having the tools they need to assess, treat and support people with dignity.

There is also a larger vision. Over time, we want to expand maternal and child health services, train local healthcare workers, support mobile outreach to hard-to-reach communities, and provide community health and nutrition education. Those things require more partners, more funding and careful planning.

For now, the most urgent step is simple and practical: help us get the Project C.U.R.E. container to Kigoma and help turn the completed building into a clinic that can begin serving people.

Victor Perton: When you imagine the clinic operating, who do you see being helped? Can you describe one mother, child, elderly person or family whose life could be changed by this project?

Rashidi Sumaili: When I imagine the clinic operating, I do not first see buildings or equipment. I see people.

I see a mother who is pregnant and worried because she has not been able to receive proper antenatal care. Today, she may have to travel a long distance for help, and that journey may cost her family money they do not have. If the clinic is operating, she can come closer to home, be checked, receive advice, and know whether she or her baby needs more care. That can change the whole experience of pregnancy for her.

I see a child with fever, infection, injury or pain. Instead of the family waiting too long because the nearest health service is far away, the child can be seen earlier. Early care can stop a small problem becoming a tragedy.

I see an elderly person who has lived a hard life and needs basic care, wound care, blood pressure checks, medicine, or someone trained to assess what is happening. For many older people, travelling far for treatment is difficult. A local clinic gives them dignity and a better chance of care.

I also see families who are already under pressure from poverty. When healthcare is far away, illness becomes more than a medical problem. It becomes a transport problem, a money problem, a family problem, and sometimes a life-or-death problem. Bringing care closer to people can reduce that burden.

My hope is that the clinic will help people in Kigoma, especially mothers, children, elderly people and families who need extra support, to receive care with dignity. We want to provide primary healthcare, maternal and child health services, basic diagnosis, health education and community support.

The vision is that people should not be left alone because they are poor or far from services. They should have a place where they can be seen, listened to and helped.

Our hope is to have the clinic operating in December 2026, if we can secure the equipment, shipping support, staff and final preparations needed. For me, that would be a beautiful step from survival to service.

Victor Perton: What makes you optimistic that this vision can become a working clinic and a lasting service for the people of Kigoma?

Rashidi Sumaili: I am optimistic because this project is already moving from vision to reality.

My life has been tested by many unexpected events, and I have learned to keep going with faith, hope and an optimistic heart. I draw strength from Ubuntu, from my Christian faith, and from my belief that people can come together to do good.

I am also optimistic because we are not starting from nothing. The building is standing. The community need is clear. Local people have shown strong support for a clinic that is closer and easier to reach. In community consultations, many residents explained that they do not always seek medical care because the nearest health facility is about 15 kilometres away and transport is difficult. That tells me this clinic is needed.

The project also has practical foundations. We have board members in Australia and Tanzania who are committed to the work. We have developed partnerships with health organisations, Rotary, Project C.U.R.E., community supporters and local health representatives. These partnerships help with equipment, advice, coordination, referrals and future planning.

I am encouraged by the potential to train and support local health workers. A clinic becomes stronger when local people have the skills, confidence and tools to serve their own community. That is why training and capacity building are so important to me.

The site also has important practical supports, including access to electricity and potable water, which are essential for operating a health facility safely.

What gives me confidence is the combination of need, community support, partnerships, faith and practical progress. We have already taken many steps. There is still work to do, especially with equipment, shipping, staffing and sustainable funding, and I believe this can be achieved if people of goodwill continue to walk with us.

For me, this project is an investment in life, dignity and hope. It can help mothers, children, elderly people and families receive care closer to home. That is what keeps me optimistic.

Victor Perton: Rashidi, as we finish this part of your story, what would you like Australian readers, donors and partners to understand about Victoria Hospital and the people it is being built to serve?

Rashidi Sumaili: I would like Australians to understand that this is not only a hospital project far away. It is a human story. It is a story of mothers, children, elderly people and families who deserve care, dignity and hope.

I would like people to see the possibility, not only the hardship. Yes, the need is real. Many families in Kigoma and eastern Congo face poverty, distance, poor transport and limited access to healthcare. Some people delay treatment because the nearest health service is too far away or too expensive. Some mothers do not receive the care they need during pregnancy. Some children become very sick before they are seen.

And still, I see hope. I see local people who want this clinic. I see partners who have already helped. I see my family, the Congolese diaspora, Australian friends, Rotary, health partners and Project C.U.R.E. all becoming part of something practical and good.

Australia gave my family safety and the opportunity to rebuild our lives. This project is one way of giving back. It is also a way to build bridges among Australia, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the United States around a shared purpose.

For donors and partners, I want them to understand that their support is more than a contribution. It can help turn a completed building into a working clinic. It can help ship equipment, support health workers, strengthen maternal and child health, and bring diagnosis and care closer to families.

For me, Victoria Hospital is about turning survival into service. I survived war, refugee camps and displacement. Now I want to help others live with dignity. If this clinic opens and a mother is safely cared for, a child is treated early, an elderly person is seen with respect, or a family no longer feels abandoned, then all the years of effort will be worth it.

That is my hope. That is what makes me keep going.

Victor Perton: Rashidi, if people reading this are inspired to help, what are the best ways to donate, provide practical support, or get involved in this work?

Rashidi Sumaili: The most immediate way people can help is by supporting the shipment of the Project C.U.R.E. container to Kigoma. The clinic building is standing, and the equipment and supplies are the next practical step. The immediate shipping need is about US$35,000.

People who want to donate can use the official Project C.U.R.E. fundraising page for this project or contact us through the Victoria Hospital Medical Foundation so we can direct them to the proper donation pathway. It is important that donations go through the right organisation, with the right banking, records and receipts.

There are also many other ways to help. We need partners who can assist with shipping and logistics, medical equipment, biomedical and technical support, staff training, health education, governance, communications, and introductions to hospitals, universities, Rotary clubs, health organisations and donors.

We also welcome people who can help tell the story. Sometimes support begins with one conversation, one introduction, one shared link, or one person saying, “I know someone who may be able to help.”

For me, the most important thing is that people help in a way that is practical, respectful and accountable. This project is about building a bridge among people of goodwill in Australia,  Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the United States.  If people feel moved to help, we welcome them to walk with us and help turn this clinic into a place of care, dignity and hope.

Those who feel moved to support Rashidi’s work are encouraged to do so through the official fundraising pathway nominated by Victoria Hospital Medical Foundation Tanzania or Project C.U.R.E. The Centre for Optimism is honoured to help share the story, while donations are being handled by the responsible project organisations.