Delivering life’s lessons — with a punch

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Delivering life’s lessons — with a punch

Article by
Taylor Pastrick

Video by
Odeya Pinkus

The single punching bag that hangs at Mfuzo Boxing Camp sure takes a beating.

Three kids pound away at once, just a handful of the 48 members who take a turn punishing it.

The camp in Makhanda’s township is limited to two run-down rooms inside a community hall, spaces not much larger than the size of many bathrooms. Their floors are all concrete — there’s no padding to cushion a fall — and the walls are dingy cinder blocks.

“The idea is to bring the youth together and away from the street by turning them into boxers.”

Questioned about how they manage such limited equipment for so many people, administrator Mfuzo Dyira and coach Luyanda Dibela chuckle. They explain that three boxers routinely use the bag at a time while others work on other skills. Those three have about two to three minutes on the bag before they switch.

“The idea is to bring the youth together and away from the street by turning them into boxers,” Dyira said of the club that was formed in October 1995. “In the township and country as a whole there are issues of crime, substance abuse and stuff like that. Some reasons are that guys have nothing else to do. At an early age, doing something for them (can keep them away from that), and it teaches them to be a good resident and citizen of the country.”

It’s about “engagement of youth,” Dibela said. “A celebration of their heaven-sent gift of boxing and chasing them away from crime, substance abuse and others. Boxing is a good sport. It teaches them discipline, fitness is a part of it and the skill of boxing. It’s a 3-in-1 lesson.”

The kids who are taking lessons have their own set of keys to the building and will often come in on their own time beyond their Monday to Friday training from 5-7 p.m., especially when they are on break from school. All of the boxers at this camp live in the Makhanda area.

“The whole community goes mad (when someone wins). When one of us succeeds the whole town celebrates,” Dyira said.

Azola Moses, a 12-year-old girl who is in sixth grade, joined Mfuzo in January 2017.

“I saw that boxing was most important and special in Makhanda. My uncle was a boxer in high school. He inspired me a lot,” Moses said. The first time boxing I was very scared I was going to hurt myself. (Now) I feel like a strong person, my personality comes out more. The boxers in the gym inspired me to be a professional boxer.”

After her first win Moses told her uncle, who did not believe her. She also said her favorite thing about being a boxer is to go against other clubs in the area in order to make her club’s name more well-known.

Luyolo Nketsheni, an athletic 13-year-old girl in seventh grade who joined at the same time as Moses, enjoys the sense of community.

“I saw the other boxers in the area coming to the gym and followed them,” Nketsheni said.

“The whole community goes mad (when someone wins). When one of us succeeds the whole town celebrates,” Dyira said.

Nketsheni participates in four sports including boxing and dance. She has five medals (four in boxing, one in dance), a trophy for boxing and seven certificates (three for dance and four for academics). Nketsheni shrugs and says that it is not too much for her and she does it all so that she can get a scholarship for school. She wants to be either a veterinarian or a dramatic actor.

“We are like second parents to them. We are always teaching and saying here to respect themselves first and others.”

Despite the commitment from its students, Mfuzo Boxing Camp has faced its fair share of hardship.

“One of our challenges was with the school because boxing is seen as a violent sport,” Dibela said. “We had to show them that it’s not. We also invited teachers to come and see that we teach lessons like they do in school. They (the students) feel free because it’s like home. We are like second parents to them. We are always teaching and saying here to respect themselves first and others.”

Then there are the issues on the business side.

“We have focused on training for so long and ignored administration,” Dyira said. “Our training venue is not suitable for boxing. Transport to events is an issue; we get invites from neighboring towns, (and) the challenge is to go to them.”

Like any good boxer, the club fights back.

“Other coaches told me we were too small to produce good boxers. The other coaches see us growing now,” Dibela said.

“Love of boxing kept us going this long, as well as dedicated coaches and assistant coaches,” Dyira said. “We are going to be around until we die. We are looking for partners to help support us and teach us more tricks of the trade.”