Box Girls

The organisation Box Girls teaches boxing to girls and women in Kenya. Box Girls was founded after the post-election violence that struck Kenya in 2008. ”I saw how women where treated especially bad after the election and I felt that I wanted to give women and girls an opportunity to defend themselves”, says the founder Alfred Analo. Initially it was difficult to engage girls since boxing was seen as an activity for men. That view is about to change. Nine years ago there was twelve participating girls and women. Today there’s more than 1500 persons involved in the organization. Damaris Irungu has been boxing for two years. She spends every morning in the gym where she's sparring against professional male boxers. In the afternoons she does outreaches to different schools around Nairobi where she teaches boxing to girls. ”Since I started boxing, I have become much braver. I can really stand up for myself now”, says Damaris who dreams of representing Kenya in the Olympics.