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15 Sep 2025, by Amy Sarcevic
Growing up as Kenyan born South Sudanese refugee in Australia, Black Rhinos co-founder Abraham Kuol had hopes to build a better life for his racial community.
Aware that young multi-cultural men are over-represented in the justice system, he wanted to create a culturally appropriate support system for those affected.
“African-Australian man can feel isolated and are more likely to live with socioeconomic disadvantage,” he said. “There are a range of challenges young people face, some experience discrimination and stereotyping, and can also be at a greater risk of police contact and court involvement.”
While these issues have existed for many years, they became prominent in 2017, amid media scrutiny of alleged “African gangs.”
Following the coverage, the criminalisation of African-Australian youth became more widespread and left a psychological mark on the community.
“For some, it left them questioning their identities and ashamed of who they are, and for others it became a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Abraham said.
In response, community leader Selba Gondoza Luka founded Black Rhinos, through Afri-Aus Care Inc. – a not-for-profit that engages young African-Australian men through sport.
Soon after, Abraham co-founded Black Rhinos Soccer alongside her, to strengthen the organisation’s reach.
“We felt there was a lack of justice focussed and culturally appropriate interventions and wanted to create something that would actually engage people,” he said.
Today, the organisation has helped turn around the lives of countless young people and has evolved into “more than just a club”, with a range of employment, AOD and mental health supports.
Ahead of the Children and Young People at Risk Summit, we chat to Abraham about what makes it a success.
Transformative power of sport
Abraham’s decision to support people through soccer is a tribute to his own love of sport and the escape it provided from hardship.
“It is something that always brought us joy, no matter what [war atrocities were] going on around us,” he said.
“Even before I was old enough to physically engage, I would go down to the flat muddy plane [in Kenya] where the older boys used to play, just watch and soak it all in.”
Maintaining his love for sport through young adulthood helped boost Abraham’s confidence.
“Growing up I understood that the harder I worked in sport, the better I became. Even if you have biological differences, you will be rewarded if you put in the time. This was a valuable lesson that served me in many areas of life.”
Without sport, Abraham admits he may have ended up disengaged from education, and lacking purpose and direction. Arriving from Kenya as a refugee from war-torn South Sudan at just seven years of age, sport helped save him from various psychological challenges.
“I was pretty withdrawn and had some behavioural problems. I was slightly more prone to anger and aggression than my peers,” he said.
“The beauty of playing sport for two hours is that it would clear my mind. I wouldn’t be reminiscing on the past or fearful of the future. I was just present and grounded. Over time, the more I played, the better I got. It made me confident and goal-oriented.”
Shared language
Now, as Black Rhinos director, Abraham knows that sport is a way to meet disadvantaged young people “where they are at” in life.
“When you solely provide formal interventions, like counselling, you are asking the young person to step up into your world, which they may or may not be ready for.
“When you offer culturally- and age-appropriate interventions, like sport, you are meeting the young person where they feel most comfortable.
“And from there, once you’ve got that initial engagement, you can segway into wraparound supports, like mental health counselling or mentoring, if needed.”
As well as bridging age gaps, Abraham believes sport provides common ground for people from different cultures.
“It gives participants a sense of belonging, in a place they may otherwise feel isolated.
“At Black Rhinos, we welcome a lot of refugees – everybody is welcome, in fact. People bring different stories, backgrounds, and cultures, but sport is a language they can all understand. It’s a place where everyone is included and can share joy, without external pressures.”
Fostering connection and belonging
To further boost connection, participants are encouraged to share their lived experiences with one another.
“We have seen people come into the program who are really shy and reserved. You know they’ve got things going on in their life. For two hours, they get to disappear in sport and then, through sharing their story, build connections with people in similar circumstances.
“When they see themselves in others, they can then start to look at what type of person they could become and what they could achieve – whether that’s in football, basketball or life in general.”
Further insight
Sharing more about what makes Black Rhinos a success, Abraham will present at the upcoming Children and Young People at Risk Summit.
Abraham will reflect on his own personal journey and the stories of others who have been touched by this program.
Learn more and register your tickets here.
About Abraham Kuol
Abraham Kuol is an Associate Research Fellow and PhD Candidate at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization at Deakin University. His research explores the post settlement challenges of African Australians with a focus on justice system contact. His other research interests include youth violence, risk, and protective factors for offending, and culturally and
linguistically diverse young people.
Abraham has an undergraduate and honours degree in Project Management from RMIT University. He has worked most recently as a Project Manager/Research Project Manager in the not-for-profit sector. He was awarded a 2025 Westpac Social Change Fellowship
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