Sisters’ Stories: “Boxing made me feel better"
Zhiyan is a teenager from Sinjar who has been living at Essyan camp since the conflict in the region.
As a young girl whose whole life has been set against the backdrop of conflict, she says: “Our life was very different before displacement. We felt safe and secure, but now at the camp I have concerns about the future and how life can go back to what is was. We do not know how long we will be here.”
Just like so many other young people in camps, Zhiyan’s mental health has suffered badly over the years, and so she decided to sign up for the Lotus Flower’s boxing programme. “I always wanted to box, and before joining the classes I did not feel good. But boxing made me feel better and gave me comfort. My body also feels more relaxed now.”
Zhiyan is one of the participants of our project with Medica Mondiale, the women’s rights and aid organisation. Over the past few months we have been providing our Boxing Sisters training and self-defence for girls, along with literacy classes and awareness sessions on gender-based violence for women of all ages.
The project at Essyan is designed to improve vulnerable girls’ mental and physical health and to help them heal from years of trauma and upheaval. We also aim for the literacy classes to improve their educational development and employability, while the sessions provide a safe and welcoming environment where women and girls can bond and learn together. In addition, up to 320 family members have also been attending awareness sessions on key topics.
Speaking of the benefits she has personally experienced, Zhiyan adds: “My behaviour has changed towards my family since I joined the classes, and I have learned many new skills. I hope others can get the chance to join and develop their skills too. My hopes for the future are peace and safety for all.”
Our Boxing Sisters project has become one of our most popular programmes over the past few years, and we would love to keep on growing it – so do support us if you can!
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