In memory of our beautiful son and brother Kuan, and to honour and uphold his legacy, we will continue where he left off with raising funds to stop the cruel and senseless poaching of rhinos in
countries like South Africa.  Kuan passed away after a short and sudden illness in August 2022 - he was only 18. In his short time, he did everything he could to raise awareness of the devastating impact of rhino poaching.

Kuan had lived in South Africa for 18 months from the age of 8, where he was fortunate to see rhinos in their natural habitat. Kuan discovered that rhinos were being killed for their horns because some
cultures believe them to have magical healing powers. He was devastated when he realised that in only a few more years, rhinos could be extinct in the wild if poaching continues to increase at the current rate. 

When Kuan got back to his home in Australia in 2014, he was determined to raise awareness and do everything he could to help stop rhino poaching. His mantra became, "the best place for the rhino’s horn is on its head”.  In Year 5 at Bilgola Plateau Primary School, NSW, at the age of 10, Kuan started his fundraising
efforts for the Save the Rhino Foundation (https://www.savetherhino.org).   He organised to sell beaded rhino keyrings hand-made by two unemployed, homeless men in South Africa, Lee-Roy and Simba, to his school friends. He also raised money by raffling a hamper of South African snacks and a large rhino soft toy, and by donating all the funds he made from a garage
sale. 

Kuan became even more determined and passionate in the following year, following the horrific story of a White Rhino named Hope. In 2015, Hope was found on the wildlife reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa with both her horns removed and a large section of her face savagely mutilated. Miraculously, she was still alive.   She went on to have 6major surgeries before finally passing away 2 years later. In Year 6, Kuan again organised a shipment of hand-made beaded rhino keyrings from Lee-Roy and Simba to sell to his friends. He also got them tomake a large, beaded rhino which he raffled  separately to raise more money for the Foundation.

When Kuan moved to high school, his sister Kaira continued his fundraising efforts while she was in Grade 5 and Grade 6. Each year on World Rhino Day in September, she, too, would create awareness by doing presentations in assembly and raising money through the sale of the hand-made, beaded rhino keyrings.

In Kuan’s first year of high school in 2017 he participated in a project
called ‘1000s stories… and counting’, aimed to “make a positive difference and shape his community.” Kuan seized the opportunity to tell people about the plight of the rhinos in the world. He raised awareness with a visual presentation to the school community, and by doing a public speech.  He was even featured in the local newspaper for his efforts for the Save The Rhino Foundation. Kuan’s sole aim was to inspire his friends, family and complete strangers to consider what they, too, could do to prevent rhinos from becoming extinct in the very near future.

The following year, 2018, Kaira went to extraordinary lengths to continue the work Kuan had started. Kaira, who has beautiful long strawberry blond hair, pledged to cut 55cm off her hair - 55cm being the same length as the critically endangered black Rhino’s horn! She donated the sponsorship money she raised for doing this to the Save
The Rhino Foundation and then also donated her hair to Variety Children’s Charity to be made into wigs for children who have lost their hair due to cancer or alopecia.

Together, Kuan and Kaira have been inspirational in their passion to stop the senseless maiming and killing of rhinos, and to do their bit to save rhinos from extinction. To date, they have raised over $2,000.  

We are eternally grateful to those who have already made the following pledges to this fundraising campaign we have set up in further support of his legacy:-

• Their primary school, Bilgola Plateau Primary School, have undertaken to make the sale of the beaded rhino
  keyrings an annual fundraiser. All monies raised will be donated through this page in memory of Kuan.  https://bilgolapla-p.schools.nsw.gov.au

• The Hungry Monkey Cafe in Kiama, NSW where Kuan
  worked, have generously pledged to donate their profits on the day that Kuan passed (23^rd August) each year to the Save The Rhino Foundation.
  https://www.thehungrymonkey.com.au/our-story.

• On 2^nd September 2022  Kuan's teammates, friends and family attended a Celebration of his Life in Wollongong, NSW.  All the beer cans and bottles of water from the day were taken to the Earn and Return program, which pays 10c for each recyclable container. Kuan’s Gridiron Coach Wayne who works
  there, then topped up the amount we received to $280 which has been donated to this fundraiser. https://returnandearn.org.au.

Each year on Kuan’s birthday on 2^nd January, we, as his family,
will make a donation in lieu of a gift and will ask others to do the same.


Kuan was with us for only 18 years. Rhinos have been around for 40 million years. Please help us to ensure they are around FOREVER, by donating to this fundraiser for the Save The Rhino Foundation, in Kuan’s honour.