LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Before Philip Manga started his nonprofit Box2Box, he played soccer at Henry Clay High School.
"The people that are here in this building helped me navigate the world and become the man I am today," he told LEX 18.
A refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Manga relied on soccer to make friends and learn English.
Now he's helping other young refugees do the same through tutoring and soccer development. But without a working van, the mission of Box2Box is impossible.
Manga said their operations have ceased while he raises money for a new van. The 2006 model he'd relied on to transport kids has dangerous mechanical issues.
"The bus is everything to us," said Manga. "It's the one thing we can say, 'This is home. If it's raining we can at least run to it. If it's snowing we can run to it instead of a building."
For the 70 kids Box2Box supports each semester, Manga said a working van can be so much more than just a ride to practice.
"It's the program," he said. "It's our home. It's the locker room."
A GoFundMe has been created by Manga to help garner donations for the purchase of a new van.
