Boxgirls Kenya (2021)

Kenya
2021-2024

In brief

Boxgirls Kenya use boxing with the vision to see a society in which every girl has the power to take advantage of every opportunity or create opportunities for herself and for others. The programme works with girls and young women to break the silence on sexual abuse, to promote economic justice and to ensure that there is a critical mass of people supporting girls and young women’s freedom and social justice.

The kind of boxing is girl-friendly and not violent, stresses speed and accuracy, rhythm and good footwork.

Problem to be tackled

Boxgirls Kenya are based in one of the most difficult to ‘live in’ communities of Nairobi, with extreme poverty, violence, environment destruction, high levels of early pregnancy and school dropout. There are hardly any recreational facilities for girls and young women, and many do not have the space to enjoy their youth and adolescence. It is against this backdrop that Boxgirls Kenya conceptualised the project – boxing as an entry point into to support girls and young women to exercise their rights but also as a right to participate in sport. Boxing also challenges stereotypes and encourages the girls to venture, dream what they think is impossible and show the world that women can also participate in the same sports as their male counterparts.

Local partner

Boxgirls Kenya use boxing to impact girls to be sporty, secure and healthy and also be lifted as a leaders and solution builders in schools and their communities. The project includes inter alia:

  • weekly boxing integrated with SRHR education and life skills,
  • coaches and mini-coaches leadership development,
  • monthly sports and boxing challenges,
  • parent-daughter-bonding,
  • quarterly community awareness campaigns and community outreach activities,
  • provision of educational support,
  • boxing clinics and camps,
  • leadership sports summits,
  • boys integration trainings,
  • parents and teachers safeguarding trainings & meeting or
  • intercommunity boxing championship.

Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries are girls and young women between the ages of eight and 23 years from marginalised and lower income communities in the rural and urban slums communities; 70% come from single parent family and most of their caregiver/parents are casual labourers.

SOL’s contribution

With the continued support of The SOL Foundation in the Boxing and Education programme as well as the Leadership and Mentorship programme, Boxgirls Kenya target to further develop their actual programme strategically, to increase the power, visibility and impact of their work, to enhance the existing model and to continue to optimise and amplify their mission of reaching out to as many girls as possible.

Project partner

Boxgirls Self–Help Group, in brief Boxgirls Kenya, is a grass roots community-based organisation in Nairobi/Kenya; its vision is a society in which every girl has the power to take advantage of every opportunity or create opportunities for herself and for others. Its mission is to create a world where women and girls lead dignified lives in secure communities, they are valued as equal members and have control over their bodies.

Boxgirls Kenya

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