Brazilian Children In Disadvantaged Communities Are Boxing Their Way To New Opportunities
A boxing program is creating new opportunities for young people in disadvantaged communities in Brazil.
A boxing program is creating new opportunities for young people in disadvantaged communities in Brazil.
The program is led by a NAVE, a non-profit focused on developing new cultural and educational programs, in Capao Redondo, a favela in the south side of São Paulo.
The boxing program is part of several other outdoor activities that started in June 2020.
Organizers hope sports can help children channel their aggression, keep children in school, active and teach them discipline.
“Letting them punch in a controlled environment like boxing is an escape valve for them,” NAVE’s founder and president Bruno Hereira dos Santos told Reuters.
Several trainees have already shown promise and qualified for sports programs.
This includes, 13-year-old Mariangela Pereira da Silva, who has been fast-tracked to Sao Paulo’s Olympic Training and Research Centre.
“I imagine myself with a gold medal around my neck, in that huge ring, my mother being proud of me, and feeling happy with myself for my victory,” da Silva told Reuters.
