Hope Gloves

In the Agbogbloshie ghetto, Charles, a former orphan turned boxing champion, returns in 2012 to found the Charles Quartey Boxing Foundation. He gives youth hope, discipline, and education, funding it himself. I pictured him with his boys, carefree.

This story has its origins in a neighborhood within the Agbogbloshie ghetto, on the outskirts of Accra, Ghana.

Here, people mainly make a living through craftsmanship. As I walked around the ghetto, I would often find the men in their makeshift huts or "workshops," spending most of the day working with wood and various metals, or engaged in  selling old plastic.

Not far away, the wives can be found cooking and taking care of the youngest children, those most in need of their presence. Sometimes, they also contribute to the family income, perhaps by selling local snacks and drinks from small stalls scattered throughout the neighborhood, bringing the youngest children with them and leaving the older ones to be entertained by the streets.

It's in this context that my eyes meets the lives of some of these young people.                                                                                              At the Charles Quartey Boxing Foundation.

To truly understand the mission of the Foundation, one must take a step back and learn who Charles Quartey is. Born and raised in the same community where the organization now operates, Charles found himself having to survive on his own from a very young age after losing both parents, who had always been separated.
The streets thus became his main teacher in life.

During this difficult time, Charles discovered boxing—or perhaps boxing discovered him.
"He clung to it, giving it everything he had inside", Charles told me.

Boxing became his path to social redemption, eventually earning him a spot on the Ghanaian national team, where he would rise to the rank of captain. He went on to win medals both nationally and internationally.
After living for about ten years in the United States, Charles returned to Ghana in 2011 and, a year later, founded the Charles Quartey Boxing Foundation, where he now serves as CEO.

From the very beginning, his mission has been clear: to offer hope, support, and opportunity to underprivileged youth in the ghetto.
At the Foundation, Charles shares his experience with them, not just in the ring, but in life.
Sometimes, he’s even able to offer the kids a basic education, so that one day they may become conscious and responsible citizens.

Sir Charles fully finances the Foundation on his own, with occasional support from former Member of Parliament Nii Lantey Vanderpuye.

I captured Charles in the final photograph together with all his boys, in a moment of joy and lightheartedness after a training session.