٠٠:٠٢:٣٦A young women's boxing initiative was seen in Medellin's La Honda neighbourhood on Sunday, with organisers teaching schoolgirls self-defence to protect them from abuse.
Footage shows young women learning how to box in a training session with the Boxeo para la Vida and Mi Barrio Mi Sueno Foundations.
"So Mi Barrio Mi Sueno stands for education empowerment, and we fight for a world against hunger. So that is basically what we are doing. We have our boxing programme where young girls and women are getting the tools to defend themselves more," said trainer Andrea Gonzalez.
Gonzalez left Bogota after being adopted by a family in The Netherlands at six months old. Her biological mother, who had escaped an abusive relationship, inspired her to start Mi Barrio Mi Sueno. On returning to Colombia in 2019, she engaged in several humanitarian programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic and established the foundation in Medellin the following year.
"One time, I was knocking on the door. And I heard a woman was getting abused physically in the house, and because I'm adopted because my mum was in an abusive relationship, it opened all my traumas again. And that's basically how we started the Body of Boxing program to empower young girls and women through boxing," Gonzalez added.
According to reports, La Honda has high rates of poverty and domestic abuse.
'Getting the tools to defend themselves' - Colombian schoolgirls learn to box in neighbourhood rife with poverty, domestic abuse
A young women's boxing initiative was seen in Medellin's La Honda neighbourhood on Sunday, with organisers teaching schoolgirls self-defence to protect them from abuse.
Footage shows young women learning how to box in a training session with the Boxeo para la Vida and Mi Barrio Mi Sueno Foundations.
"So Mi Barrio Mi Sueno stands for education empowerment, and we fight for a world against hunger. So that is basically what we are doing. We have our boxing programme where young girls and women are getting the tools to defend themselves more," said trainer Andrea Gonzalez.
Gonzalez left Bogota after being adopted by a family in The Netherlands at six months old. Her biological mother, who had escaped an abusive relationship, inspired her to start Mi Barrio Mi Sueno. On returning to Colombia in 2019, she engaged in several humanitarian programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic and established the foundation in Medellin the following year.
"One time, I was knocking on the door. And I heard a woman was getting abused physically in the house, and because I'm adopted because my mum was in an abusive relationship, it opened all my traumas again. And that's basically how we started the Body of Boxing program to empower young girls and women through boxing," Gonzalez added.
According to reports, La Honda has high rates of poverty and domestic abuse.
A young women's boxing initiative was seen in Medellin's La Honda neighbourhood on Sunday, with organisers teaching schoolgirls self-defence to protect them from abuse.
Footage shows young women learning how to box in a training session with the Boxeo para la Vida and Mi Barrio Mi Sueno Foundations.
"So Mi Barrio Mi Sueno stands for education empowerment, and we fight for a world against hunger. So that is basically what we are doing. We have our boxing programme where young girls and women are getting the tools to defend themselves more," said trainer Andrea Gonzalez.
Gonzalez left Bogota after being adopted by a family in The Netherlands at six months old. Her biological mother, who had escaped an abusive relationship, inspired her to start Mi Barrio Mi Sueno. On returning to Colombia in 2019, she engaged in several humanitarian programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic and established the foundation in Medellin the following year.
"One time, I was knocking on the door. And I heard a woman was getting abused physically in the house, and because I'm adopted because my mum was in an abusive relationship, it opened all my traumas again. And that's basically how we started the Body of Boxing program to empower young girls and women through boxing," Gonzalez added.
According to reports, La Honda has high rates of poverty and domestic abuse.