Family to set up trust in honour of slain Mt Roskill volunteer Rima Sikei

The family of a young man murdered before Christmas are starting to raise money for a trust in his honour so they can keep helping the community where he volunteered so much of his time.

Rima Sikei, 21, died on December 7 after he was stabbed.

A man has been charged with his murder and is currently before the courts.

Sikei worked as a landscaper and in his spare time he would go to the Mt Roskill community centre and mentor troubled youths.

He also volunteered at Wesley Intermediate School - where he used to attend - mowing the lawns and tending the gardens.

Rima Sikei was killed in December. A man has been charged with his murder. Photograph supplied

And he was involved with the Te Whangai Trust, a charitable trust providing work and life skills training.

Sikei's brother Semisi told the Herald in December that the family wanted to create a legacy for the slain man.

They are now trying to raise funds to start their own trust in his name.

"Roskill Youth Zone was his second home," said Semisi.

"If he wasn't at home he was here.

"He volunteered all the time to mentor the kids and even helped out with cleaning and anything else they needed help with.

"He loved working with the youth."

Sikei, a promising rugby player, had dreams of joining the police.

"The family are wanting to start up a trust to keep his name alive and also to give back to
the community that he belonged to and keep looking after the youth and kids," said
Semisi.

"That's what he would want us to do.

"Some of us are feeling really lost and don't know what to do now."

Hundreds of people attended Rima Sikei's funeral near his home in Mt Roskill. NZ Herald photograph by Jason Oxenham.

The Sikei family appealed to people to donate to a Givealittle page set up to help kickstart the trust.

They also hoped to raise some extra funds to pay for Sikei's headstone and unveiling.

"Anything will help," said Semisi.

To donate to the Sikei family visit https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/rima-sikeis-unveiling or click here.

"Everyone that knew Rima talked about his beautiful smile," his brother said.

"He was also so cheeky, he would joke and laugh around, but he cared for you.

"He was taken away from us way to early."