By Elsie Lange
Yousef Taha was just 19-years-old when he died in a motorcycle accident in Broadmeadows on February 12.
Since then, a Go-Fund Me campaign started by his cousin, Aiche Merhi, has raised more than $10,000 in his honour.
His brother, Khaled Taha, told Star Weekly “he was a lovely kid”.
“As a brother, I’m very, very proud,” Mr Taha said. “I know he had support wherever he went.”
Mr Taha said his younger brother was also his full-time worker as a plumber – not only has he lost his sibling, but his trusted workmate too.
“My workers are devastated,” he said.
“All the memories in the morning, going for the coffee runs, going for lunch, it’s not going to be the same anymore.”
The one thing Mr Taha wants everyone to remember is to embrace their family every day, because you never know what might happen.
The fundraising page says that depending on the amount of funds collected, the money will be used to “either build or contribute to current projects such as buildings in schools, departments/machines in hospitals, mosques, wells”.
“We do not profit from this, this is all going to the community to help out and raise awareness,” Mr Taha said.
He said he started shaking when he heard about the accident, and going to the scene was one of the most difficult things he’d ever done.
“Seeing a sibling laying there lifeless on the floor, it’s the hardest thing,” Mr Taha said.
The brother of the teen describes the accident as a “wake up call” to young people to be safe, to stay close to family and to their beliefs, whatever they may be.
“It’s the last thing we ever thought was going to happen to him,” he said.
Details: www.gofundme.com/f/sadaqah-jariyah-for-youssef-taha
