About Me (David Briffa)

My name is David Briffa. When I was a small boy my father gathered the whole family and emigrated from Malta to Australia. Shortly after, my father lost the use of his left hand in an industrial accident. This led to long hospital stays and the family fell on hard times. 

 My mother went without on many occasions simply to feed the family. Years later she shared with us the story of an old lady in uniform who approached her in a shop. She asked my mother why she always asked for broken biscuits at the counter. Shortly after that, we had our first experience with the Salvation Army. Mrs. Atkinson (the nice old lady in uniform) visited us in our leaky bungalow and gave us food vouchers and blankets. 

After completing my secondary education I went to a Melbourne hairdressing salon and wouldn't leave the salon until the owner (Mr. Perry) gave me a job. 

Following my apprenticeship, I headed across the Nullarbor to Perth, WA. There I stayed with a beautiful family who worked with Aboriginal people and liberally gave of their love. 

Not so long after, I found myself in Halls Creek in the Kimberleys (northern WA). There I was confronted with the impact of oppression on Aboriginal People: dysfunctional families burdened by alcohol and plagued by domestic violence, gambling, and broken relationships. 

I recall distinctly my first Christmas working at a Sobering Shelter in Halls Creek. Seated next to Brett Butler (the pastor of the local Aboriginal church) he asked, 'how is it going?' As I struggled with the answer tears rolled down my cheeks; I was emotionally inebriated with the reality of people's pain. 

As a result of that experience, I applied to do Social Work at RMIT and graduated with Honours in 2005. Until 2007, I worked with Mackillop Family Services across 3 programs: Family Services, School-Focused Youth Services, and Children in Out of Home Care. Toward the latter part of the year, I devoted all my time to the Cycle For Africa fundraiser and here I am today.