Leyk

This is a text conversation between our Executive Director @calder.powers and our Guardian Ethiopia leader @linkd24 Behind the scenes, there are difficult situations we have to navigate in our programs. At @guardianethiopia , we sponsor 27 homeless youth to train jiu jitsu with us. Some of these kids, as young as 10 to 13, are already struggling with drugs and alcohol. For children living on the streets in Addis Ababa, this is often part of survival. It can be a way to get through cold nights, numb pain, or cope with things no child should have to face. Beyond jiu jitsu, our goal is intervention. We are working with local professionals to help these kids break destructive patterns, build healthier habits, and understand that what may feel normal on the streets does not have to define their future.

From concrete floors to blue belts. What a journey this has been. 4 of our boys got promoted to blue belt by coach @yarednigusse To many people, blue belt might seem like a small step. But for @guardianethiopia , this moment means everything. These are the first blue belts from our youth program. one of the first youth BJJ programs and one of the very few BJJ schools in Ethiopia. Years ago, this started with kids training on old rugs and concrete floors. No proper mats. Very little equipment. Just belief, consistency, and a dream. Today, those same shy and timid boys have grown into strong, confident, disciplined young men. They compete regularly and have won multiple medals. But more importantly, they became leaders. They help teach kids classes, mentor younger students, and support the homeless children in our program. More than the belts or medals, we are proud of the people they became. Respectful. Humble. Hardworking. Consistent. This program was never only about jiu jitsu. It was about giving kids structure, brotherhood, belief, and a future bigger than their circumstances. Watching these boys grow over the years has been emotional. They are living proof that consistency, mentorship, and community can change lives. Thank you to everyone who believed in us through every stage of this journey, from concrete floors to mats, @shoyoroll gis, meal support, seminars, and competitions. Huge gratitude to @guardiangym , @calder.powers , @bskovacs @craigjonesbjj @thefairfightfoundation @cjiofficial for all of it. for helping build the academy into what it is today. From mats and gear to meal programs and endless opportunities. @kao_bjj , coach Colin Stewart, coach @yarednigusse @morris_bjj_wcma @team_chokelab @menilek_mma @menelik_bjj @menenreuben @jupipackless @omer_jemal @joshimitsubjj.ch @joshimitsubjj @pietrowww @chrismwojcik @hennyhennnry @m3t3k3_ @johnnydoesjiujitsu @sofonias_nebiyu and everyone else who supported us from day one. We are just getting started. @_betsegaw

Ji Jitsu at home

My first session with caoch @linkd24 @guardianethiopia @guardiangym #jiujitsu

Some kids are born into circumstances most of us will never have to imagine. In Addis Ababa, 27 of our 62 sponsored youth at @guardianethiopia live on the streets. Jiu jitsu didn’t just give them a sport. It gave them somewhere to go. Mentors who care if they show up. A team that believes in them. Beyond the training we help with clothing, food, and medical support. Among other goals, we try to give them a place away from the worries of life outside. A place to be kids, to train, and to play. Every kid on those mats is there because someone chose to care. A donor. A coach. Someone who simply shared our story. Every kid deserves a place to belong. #jiujitsuforall

@guardianethiopia currently supports 27 homeless youth in Addis Ababa with two meals a day, clothing, shoes, medical care, and jiu jitsu. For kids who were once surviving on the street, this is more than support. It is consistency. It is safety. It is someone showing up every single day. Beyond them, another 35 teens are fully sponsored and training regularly, surrounded by mentors and teammates who expect more from them and believe in who they can become. In a country of 127 million people, 62 kids might not sound like much. But movements do not begin with numbers. They begin with commitment. This is a seed. These young men and women are growing up with discipline, confidence, and community. As they grow, they will lead the next generation and spread jiu jitsu throughout Ethiopia, impacting countless lives along the way. #jiujitsuforall

Spend a day in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and you’ll see it. Children sleeping in doorways. Kids with no stable home, and in many cases, no parents. They move in small groups, looking out for each other because no one else is. Some turn to huffing glue just to numb the hunger, the cold, or the reality of the street. This is the environment many of our students come from. At @guardianethiopia , 27 kids who live on the street now have a place to go every day. They train jiu jitsu. They receive two meals daily. They have access to medical care and clean clothes. More importantly, they have coaches who know their names and teammates who have their backs. Jiu jitsu doesn’t fix everything overnight. But it gives structure. It gives dignity. It gives belonging. #jiujitsuforall

From training on rugs… to old puzzle mats… to a real jiu jitsu academy. Leader @linkd24 and the @guardianethiopia started with belief, consistency, and a commitment to give kids a better path through jiu jitsu. Today, with of the support from @thefairfightfoundation , these kids now train on professional mats in a beautiful academy they can call their own. This is the first ever youth Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program in the country of Ethiopia. Today, 62 young people are part of the global jiu jitsu community because of it. #jiujitsuforall

“Imagine being a street kid in a country where most of the necessities are not provided for the regular person.” 🗣️ @linkd24

Who is @linkd24 ? Leykun Birhanu has spent more than a decade working with homeless youth in Addis Ababa. Again and again, he would help kids, check in on them, support them where he could, and then lose them. They moved constantly. Life on the street didn’t allow for consistency, and that was the hardest part. When Leyk found jiu jitsu, it gave him something he didn’t realize he was missing. Structure. Confidence. A sense of belonging. A place where people showed up, even when things were hard. He began to see that what these kids needed wasn’t just help in the moment, but something steady they could return to. So he built it. Leyk founded the first youth jiu jitsu program in Ethiopia, created specifically for the most underserved kids in Addis Ababa. At the beginning, there were no mats. Training happened on rugs laid over concrete. Rug burns were constant and the conditions were far from ideal. Still, the kids kept coming back. Covered in bruises and rug burns, they loved jiu jitsu. Alongside @thefairfightfoundation we outfitted the academy wall to wall with new mats and @shoyoroll joined us to support all the kids with gear. Today, twenty seven homeless youth train consistently, alongside thirty five fully sponsored teens. Our kids that previously had to find food on their own are fed twice a day through a local restaurant partnership. They receive medical care, clothing, shoes, hygiene supplies, mentorship, and jiu jitsu. Leyk often says the most important thing is that they feel that someone cares about them. And with the support of our friends and partners, we’ll continue to be the a constant they can count on. #jiujitsuforall

This is Beniam (Tedi) from @guardianethiopia He is 12 years old and currently in sixth grade. He lives in Addis Ababa with his mother and two siblings. His father is currently incarcerated, and his mother supports the family by seeking help within the community. Beniam and his siblings also contribute by selling small items in their neighborhood. They live in a simple, temporary plastic shelter built alongside a church fence. Despite these circumstances, Beniam shows up. He is one of the most talented students in our program, but what stands out most is his character. He is kind, respectful, and consistently supportive of his teammates. He treats others well and carries himself with maturity beyond his years, both on and off the mat. Through Guardian, Beniam’s school expenses are covered, he is fed two meals a day through a restaurant we support, and access to healthcare support has been especially meaningful for him. He has shared that knowing people care about his education and health makes him feel safe. He says that being part of the training facility and community is the best thing that has ever happened to him. Beniam believes the program gave him hope. He says it taught him that with consistency, anything is achievable. He trains six days a week and has asked to join the adult class as well, driven by a deep desire to improve. Before joining the program, Beniam struggled with cigarette use. Since beginning training, he has stopped. Martial arts gave him structure, discipline, and something positive to commit to. His dream is simple and clear: “I want to become a champion.” When you see his discipline, attitude, and work ethic, that dream feels possible. When asked his message to the world he said, “Everyone starts small before reaching great things.”

Merry Christmas from @guardianethiopia 🎄🇪🇹 Today we gifted our 30 homeless youth new clothes, shoes, bags, and essentials. But beyond the gifts themselves, the real goal is helping these kids feel worthy, cared for, and understand what it means to belong. #jiujitsuforall