Elisa Salinas, the IFMA Executive Board member has built Sport Is Your Gang in Mexico in 12 different states and over 1000 kids are now enrolled in this IFMA initiative which won the 2014 Spirit of Sport Award. Using the power of sport to make a difference to take kids from the street, give them a belonging in the sport family and at the same time show them that sport can open doors to many possibilities.
Many of these kids are street kids or came from a low social background. Sport Is Your Gang gives them a safe place under close supervision not just to exercise but to communicate. Sport Is Your Gang works closely together with many other government groups to try to integrate these kids into the school system where they can have access to proper education, medical assistance, and also social workers which study the backgrounds of the kids.
Elisa Salinas says, she must thank all the volunteers of the Mexican Muaythai Federation, the partner social institutions and the smiles on the kids’ faces which encourage us to work even harder.