Kashera empowers youth to chase their dreams

LIMBA MUPETAMI



While many Rundu residents say more activities are needed in town for youth in order to keep them out of trouble, one man has stepped up and operates a small gym to train boxers, despite trying times.

Patrick Kashera, a teacher by profession, has taken it upon himself to provide young men with a place to learn respect and achieve dreams, with the cost factor not being most important.

While operating the PK Boxing and Fitness Academy in the Kavango East Region in Kayengona village and chairing the Kavango Boxing Federation, Kashera is working tirelessly to train 20 boxers the art of fighting.

He said he does this in order to help young men in the area to find their feet. “Kavango Region is one of the poorest in the country. We started off training under a tree two years ago, because we did not have a proper facility to use.

“Most young people become security guards, criminals or abuse alcohol when they fail their grades. I want to show these young men that they can be something more in life by using their talent to support themselves and the community from which they come.

“I also operate the club in order to feed the national boxing team with quality boxers. If I receive sponsorship one day I can get more equipment and make sure some of the boxers turn professional,” he added.

Kashera used the example of Manny Pacquiao's rags to riches story. The boxer grew up in the dusty southern Philippine city of General Santos and dropped out of school at age 12.

“Pacquiao used his talent to lift himself out of poverty and is now worth billions. He build houses for people in his home town and has managed to lift his family from poverty,” Kashera said.

“This is what I want for my boxers. I don't want to get rich through them but want to enable them to stand on their own feet,” he said.

But before opening the club, Kashera struggled to get support from the community. “When I got to the school, I saw that there was an urgent need to start a project which can pull in young people. I started a football club and from there started with boxing.

“Boxing has always been in my blood because I started taking an interest when I was nine years old. I would fill sacks with sand and punch on it as I imitated boxing greats like Muhammad Ali.

“My boxing career never took off so I decided to rather plough my skills back into the community,” Kashera narrated.

Recently the boxing coach was awarded a certificate of excellence by the Maria Mwengere Secondary School for managing 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jonas Junias.

This is an achievement he is proud of and said he can do more if he received support.

“At the moment we train from a dilapidated room at the Rundu Recreational Centre.

“The roof looks like it will fall in at anytime, but we continue to look forward to the future and hope that I can get a plot someday to build a proper gym facility for the young boxers.”

Support from his team

Young pugilist Justinus 'Mapeny' Haufiku, who joined the gym when it started, said Kashera is helping them to stay on track.

Haufiku was a learner at the school but is now unemployed and depends on his boxing to one day lead him to greener pastures.

“I'm an amateur boxer at the moment but I want to go pro eventually.

“For now, I just love training and gaining valuable skills.

“The coach is a great guy. He advises and motivates the boxers a lot. I was one of the first guys who joined the club when it opened. I trained under a tree and I keep coming to training even though the current place where we train looks like it might fall anytime. We still hope that a Good Samaritan will one day help us with proper facilities to train in.

But until then we won't give up,” Haufiku said.