Uganda’s female slum boxers

Kampala, Uganda – They live impoverished lives in one of the largest slums in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. Without permanent shelter or jobs, 23-year-old Morine Nakilyowa, 17-year-old Lydia Nantale, 24-year-old Hellen Baleke and 20-year-old Diana Tulyanabo have resorted to boxing as a way to survive the harsh conditions of the crime-ridden Katanga slum. 

Over the past few years, they have featured prominently in local tournaments, representing the Katanga-based Rhino Boxing Club. But the women have yet to get the recognition afforded to their male counterparts. 

Since then, the boxers have had to contend with the absence of a functioning amateur boxing body and a limited number of credible opponents as they struggle to make their mark. To keep active, they seek out boxers from across the border – in Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania – and feature on the undercards of locally-arranged professional fights. In extreme circumstances, they take each other on at catch-weights.

But, despite the setbacks, the foursome still harbours big dreams of representing Uganda at major international tournaments.

Photogallery

Hellen Baleke, left, and Lydia Nantale practise their jabs [Edward Echwalu/Al Jazeera] 

The old, worn-out boxing gloves used by the women boxers are kept for fight days. They mostly train with their bare fists [Edward Echwalu/Al Jazeera] 

Morine Nakilyowa has won two of her five professional fights [Edward Echwalu/Al Jazeera] 

Hellen Baleke, the most experienced of the four boxers with 11 wins, four draws and a single loss to her name, practises her punches on an old car tyre, as they cannot afford actual punch bags [Edward Echwalu/Al Jazeera] 

Morine Nakilyowa and Hellen Baleke watch their trainers box [Edward Echwalu/Al Jazeera] 

Hellen Baleke is taken through a training session by her trainer. Since the women are not in a position to hire a permanent coach, they are trained by part-time male boxers who take part of their commission from professional fights. The only way the women earn any money from their sweat is through the mostly locally organised bouts [Edward Echwalu/Al Jazeera] 

Morine Nakilyowa says her four children have inspired her to pursue her boxing career. ‘I am a boxer because of mainly three reasons,’ she says: ‘Passion, to fend for family, and protect my children from this volatile environment’ [Edward Echwalu/Al Jazeera] 

This article first appeared in the Al Jazeera Magazine.