The Story of Relief Wakes
Inspired by AusCongo Network (ACN): Relief Wakes was founded by Costa (Constantin), the creator of ACN, and his son William.
Shared Mission: Both organizations aim to empower communities and transform lives. ACN focuses on poverty reduction in Congo and among Congolese Australians, while Relief Wakes focuses on supporting people with disabilities in Australia.
Focus on NDIS Participants: Relief Wakes works within the framework of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to provide support and opportunities for participants and their families.
“Teach a Man to Fish” Philosophy: Relief Wakes emphasizes skill-building, independence, and community integration for its participants.
Relief Wakes and Auscongo network
For us to begin telling you the story of why Relief Wakes was created, we have to take a
step back to the beginning of Costa or Constantin, the creator of AusCongo Network. Having
been raised in the Kasai Tribe of Congo, Costa was tragically orphaned at the age of six,
moved from relative to relative, and developed a growing sense of worthlessness before
spending 11 years in a Zambian refugee camp before arriving in Australia where he become
a respected community leader and pastor.
AusCongo Network – ACN which is a grass-roots, not-for-profit organisation is committed to
reducing poverty in the Congo and among Congolese people in Australia. They do this
through community development projects designed to build strong and sustainable
communities and thereby transform people’s lives. Through this approach, they have seen
almost 1,500 people receive an education, develop essential business skills access micro-
finance loans, and collaborate on agricultural projects to build a better future for themselves
and their families.
ACN, the creator of the AusCongo Network (ACN), together with his son William who has
extensive Disability Support experience, came up with Relief Wakes an organisation that is
there to make the same positive impact as ACN has done but for people with a disability. As
part of our mission, we are aiming to create a space that promotes togetherness and thus
builds strong and sustainable communities within NDIS participants and families. We love
the saying “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach him to fish, and you feed
him for a lifetime”.
Every day, we strive to promote this philosophy throughout our NDIS projects and help our
participants gain confidence, social skills, independence, and friendships. Creating
experiences that inspire participants’ hobbies and interests and allow them to discover new
ones is our goal.
Participants can get involved in some of the following projects:
-  The Man Cave Project – The place to be for the Man of today – Assisting Men
suffering from Relationship And Domestic Troubles Brisbane Ipswich QLD - Project Wote Pamoja – Women’s Health (Sewing, Fashion & Cooking
Workshop) Brisbane Ipswich QLD - Men’s Health – Assisting Men with Disability Brisbane Ipswich QLD
-  Shelter Support – Assisting the Homeless Brisbane Ipswich QLD
Additionally, we provide support in these areas as well for our Participants and families: - Â Travel Training & Support
- Â Access & Maintain Employment
- Development of Life Skills
- Â Daily Tasks/Shared Living
- Â Daily Personal Activities (High-Intensity)
- Â Household Tasks
- Â Participation in community
- Â Innovative community participation
- Â Group activities
We would love to meet you and connect with your organization to see if we can positively
impact more people’s lives!