Group fights for charity

R50 000 raised for hospital, and all-woman bouts set to raise more

CHARITY group African Pride Fighting Championship (APFC) raised R50 000 at an event for the Khayelitsha Hospital, and plans to raise more money for the hospital at an event in August.

The Same Foundation, a not-forprofit organisation that accepts donations for corporate social initiatives, will use the money to fund the development of a neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital.

At the event on June 9, SA light heavyweight boxing champion Nicholas Radley successfully defended his title against Frank Rodrigues. APFC co-founder Jess Mouneimne said about 900 people attended the event.

“The funds were raised through the tickets sold for the event and through an auction at the event. All our events are charity-based. Over the past five years, we have raised over R300 000 for various charities through combat sports events,” she said.

“In previous years, we raised funds for the Pebbles Project (which provides education to disadvantaged children in Winelands farming communities) and Dare 2 Share (which provides leadership training to teenagers) as well as for a little girl fighting cystic fibrosis,” she said.

On August 9 – Women’s Day – Mouneimne herself will step into the ring at the next APFC charity event, a female-only fight contest set to be the first of its kind in the country. Called APFC: Warrior Womxn, it will feature boxing bouts and showdowns in the martial arts discipline of Muay Thai, and in mixed martial arts (MMA).

Proceeds will go towards upgrades at the women’s psychiatric ward at Khayelitsha Hospital, and to Rape Crisis. “The event will be held at Hope Street Hall, Hope Street. We will have eight female bouts in MMA, Muay Thai and boxing, as well as burlesque performances. The aim of the event is to celebrate the strength and sensuality of women while raising funds for worthy female-focused causes.”

Mouneimne said they hoped to raise R100 000. “We are still looking for sponsors to get involved as putting an event like this one is costly,” she said.

For more information and tickets, contact APFC – which has a presence on Instagram and Facebook – via info@ pridefightingacademy.com.

FOUR of the women who will square up in African Pride Fighting Championship’s charity event, Warrior Womxn, on August 9, Women’s Day, are Lakshmi Sagarika Bose, Aneesha Mayman, Dominique Bouckaert, and Jess Mouneimne.