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Boxing helped Mohammed Kayongo escape his past as a child soldier in Uganda. Now he wants to give kids in north Minneapolis a fighting chance.

Kidnapped by a messianic rebel movement at age 11, Kayongo discovered boxing in Ugandan army barracks. But the training he offers kids at the Northside Boxing Club, in Minneapolis, is anything but harsh. The gym provides free food, Black history lessons, and emotional support. As Kayongo puts it, “Most parenting is giving love. And most of our kids need more of that.”

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