Senior Captain Natalie Baldasare and Co-President Erin Byrne in front of Lakeview during their summer 2011 stay in Uganda
Lakeview Secondary School
Senior Captain Natalie Baldasare visited western Uganda over the summer of 2011
St. Joseph's Hill Secondary School
Former President Anna Dwyer ('11)
Senior Co-President Jen Coe celebrates in Ugandan fashion during her 2011 Spring Semester study abroad!
The Women's Boxing Club strongly affirms the value of a good education, especially where it is most needed. The importance of education has only recently been widely understood in Uganda, especially in rural areas. The Baraka Bouts support Holy Cross Missions in East Africa, specifically Lakeview Secondary School in Uganda.
With two Bout Nights this year, the club is making a monumental mark on its mission goals by supporting another Ugandan school through Holy Cross Missions. Lakeview Secondary School will be joined by St. Joseph's Hill Secondary School this year in receiving proceeds from the bouts. St. Joseph's Hill Secondary School is a Holy Cross run school in a very rural area in western Uganda. It is the only private school in the surrounding area and therefore receives many students from a large geographical region. Students follow a rigorous schedule of classes from 8:00 AM -4:20 PM, classes include biology, chemistry, math, physics, catholic religious education, geography, history, economics, and English. The students come from desperately impoverished backgrounds and the biggest struggle they face is obtaining school fees. The motto of St. Joseph's is "Education is Light," which perfectly sums up how the school is working to instill an understanding of the importance and benefits of education in the next generation of Ugandans. Senior Captain Natalie Baldasare describes the students at St. Joseph's: "They are extremely eager to learn and incredibly dedicated to and grateful for the education they are receiving."
Both schools have benefitted substantially from the club's proceeds, bolstering the availability of education for those in need. Just as the women of the boxing club are challenged daily in the pit to overcome physical and mental hurdles, Ugandan children and young adults are similarly challenged in ways that may be alleviated by the Baraka Bouts Missions. Several Notre Dame women boxers have had the chance to visit Uganda, study abroad there, and actively serve the missions they box for. The Women's Boxing Club of Notre Dame will continue to uphold strong Catholic ideals in supporting the betterment of education in East Africa through Holy Cross Missions, a cause worth fighting for.