Ghana Mission Trip 2026: A Recap
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Boxing Is Love brings boxing to underserved communities worldwide, using the sport to lay long-term foundations through sports science, nutrition, and education. This trip responded to Ghana's malnutrition crisis: 2.4 million children under five live in child food poverty, with high rates of stunting and anaemia.
Boxing gyms are trusted spaces, and athletes are role models, making them effective messengers for nutrition knowledge that spreads through families and neighbourhoods rather than relying on short-term aid.
This June, the team spent seven days in Ghana doing exactly that, moving between Accra's gyms, schools, and Bukom, one of the world's most storied boxing neighbourhoods. The trip reached more than 300 coaches and young people, we delivered $4,120 worth of donated equipment, and put sports kits in the hands of over 300 people.
Day one: starting with the history
After meeting up with our local partner, Sarah Lotus Asare and picking up our volunteers, the group spent day one getting to know the area.
We toured Black Star Square, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, and the Accra Arts Centre, a reminder that Ghanaian boxing doesn't sit apart from the country's wider story of independence and identity.
Day two: Ring Refurbishing, Training and Workshop
Alongside the young boxers at Wisdom Boxing Gym, home of the Ghana National Boxing Team, we replaced the gym's boxing ring with a new one we had brought over.
We then joined them for a boxing session before delivering a workshop on nutrition and physiotherapy.
Day three: Full-Day Workshop
Hosted by Ghana National Sports Authority, Ghana Olympics Committee and Ghana Boxing Federation at the Accra Sports Stadium, we delivered a full day workshop for 50+ coaches from boxing clubs all around Accra covering all aspects of nutrition, sports science, injury prevention, strength and conditioning, and the history and cultural heritage of boxing in Ghana.
Day four: Boxing Gyms and Community Football
Day four took us to Akotoku Boxing Academy and Black Panthers Boxing Gym, where we ran the same boxing sessions alongside workshops on nutrition and physiotherapy. It was brilliant to see the boxers asking so many questions about the relationship between the nutrients found in local foods and their diets as athletes. We also had the opportunity to try some of the foods we were recommending, giving us a much better understanding of what was available to them day to day.
The day closed with a community football match with local youths, a great way to bring everyone together after another full day.
Day five: Into the Schools
Day five shifted our focus to education. Alongside former multi-weight world champion Nana Yaw Konadu, one of the most celebrated figures in Ghanaian boxing history, we visited New Order Preparatory School and Great Kwame Nkrumah School.
We had a great time demonstrating pad work drills and running hands-on boxing workshops, giving the students a chance to learn the fundamentals of the sport. We also delivered simplified sessions on nutrition and sports science, introducing them to the same principles we use with elite boxers.
Whether or not they ever step into a boxing ring, we hope these lessons will help them make healthier choices and better understand how to look after their bodies.
The day also included filming interviews for our documentary, capturing the stories and experiences of the people we had met throughout the week.
Day six: National Youth Team, Bukom Park, and a World Cup Night
Day six was our busiest yet. We started the day with Ghana's national youth boxing team before heading to Prince de Henry Educational Complex with Nana Yaw Konadu.
Later that afternoon, we joined a community boxing session at Bukom Park, in the neighbourhood where much of Ghana's boxing heritage has its roots, and had the opportunity to meet Ghanaian boxing legend Bukom Banku. The day ended with us watching Ghana take on Panama at the World Cup together. Before the match, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, Director General of the National Sports Authority, kindly bought us all a drink, giving us the chance to spend more time together and share the excitement ahead of the game with the people who had welcomed us into their community.
Day seven: Wrap Up
The final day gave us a chance to come together over breakfast for a final reflection before heading to the airport. Looking back, in just seven days we had reached over 300 coaches and young people through boxing sessions, nutrition and sports science workshops, donated $4,120 worth of equipment, and provided sports kits to so many athletes and young people.
While these numbers capture the scale of what we achieved, the most important part of the trip is continuing to build the relationships and partnerships that will create lasting impact beyond our time there.
Will you make a difference with us?
This trip marked Phase 2 of our work in Ghana. In Phase 1, we invested £6,000 into improving the facilities at Wisdom Boxing Gym, home of the National Team, by replacing the roof and walls, while also delivering nutrition programmes across 10+ local boxing gyms.
Everything shared above represents Phase II of our work: donating a new boxing ring, delivering programmes in boxing, nutrition, recovery and injury prevention, and reaching over 300 young people and coaches while providing 300+ training kits.
Now, we need your support to take this work into Phase 3 and build a sustainable programme that continues to support young people in Ghana long after our visit.
We are raising £10,000 to fund a full year of weekly literacy, numeracy and nutrition programmes for 500+ young people, while also helping to further improve gym facilities, provide essential training equipment, and create safer spaces for young athletes to develop.
With your support, we can continue building on the foundations created through these first two phases and help more young people access the opportunities, knowledge and support they need to thrive. Support us Other Boxing is Love Mission Trips
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