Imane Khelif has been an active advocate for the less fortunate even before her climactic gold win in the Paris Olympics this year. From dodging the punches of her village boys at 16 for her insistence on playing football to selling scrap metal to buy tickets to travel to the next village for boxing practice, Imane Khelif has seen more hardships in her young life than most people ever will. This is what inspires her to help the young children make something of themselves. That is what made her perfect for her role as Algeria’s national ambassador for UNICEF. She bravely took on the role in January. Since then, she has worked closely with the organization.

The 25-year-old has been traveling with UNICEF for almost a year now, helping various needy kids in Algeria. On September 9, 2024, the UNICEF Algeria Country Office in Algiers appointed her as the “Champion for Children’s Rights.” This title was a testament to the work Khelif has done over a year and her commitment to children’s rights. After such a difficult year in the Olympic games with lots of accusations leveled against her, it looks like the public’s perception of her is finally changing as a post made by UNICEF yesterday saw an unreal amount of love being poured on the welterweight.

Imane Khelif is a ‘Champion for Children’s Rights’

UNICEF posted several pictures on Instagram featuring Khelif’s field visit to the camp of Al-Samara, near Tindouf, Algeria. The visit was to highlight the essential needs of the Sahrawi refugee children. It was to identify the education they are getting and a way to promote sports as a key element of growth in every child’s difficult life in the refugee camp.

The images featured Khelif interacting with female students and having a reading session with some of them. Another picture featured the 25-year-old gifting books and stationeries to the little children at the camp. The Olympic gold medalist was also captured playing football with some older students. It was a wholesome moment. Two female students were also seen in one of the images sporting a “Champions for Children’s Rights” T-shirts.

The comments were brimming with positive vibes, as every person appreciated the work that the boxer was doing.

Changing World’s Opinion

One fan wrote “How much kindness and what a bigger heart ❤️,” as a nod of approval for everything that Khelif has done over the past year. Another fan wrote, “She conquers the world with her kindness and big big heart. ❤️.” The user was clearly impressed by Imane Khelif’s kind humanitarian work. During the Olympics, the 46-9 boxer was on the receiving end of endless criticism. But she kept her head down and conquered everything with a smile on her face. 

A fan noticed her picture of playing soccer and wrote, “I don’t know what I would give to see her play soccer 😍😍😍🔥🔥,” as the user wanted to see the boxer try her luck in this sport as well. A fun fact, Khelif started her sporting career as a soccer player before transitioning to boxing. During her teenage years, Imane Khelif was a phenomenal soccer player, but the boys in her hometown used to tease and threaten her about it, as according to them, soccer was not for girls. 

Another fan, who was delighted by the work of UNICEF and Khelif, congratulated her and stated how important it is for the children to see someone so accomplished supporting them. The user wrote, “Very proud of imane. And these children will definitely feel more encouraged to always follow the right path, studies and sports ❤️.” The Tiaret resident herself knows how demotivating it can be to fight against the world alone. Her father did not support her boxing career initially, and she used to go to practice sneakily. It was her mother who supported her during those times and helped her as much as she could. And now Khelif is giving back to the world the kindness she received from her mother.

No matter what anyone says, the work Imane Khelif has been doing will benefit Algeria’s next generation a lot. A fan wrote, “The people of Western Sahara love Iman Khalifa. We feel proud of her presence. This is very beautiful.🇩🇿❤️🇪🇭,” acknowledging all the good work she has done in her role as UNICEF’s ambassador and how Khelif’s presence at the global stage can help bring attention to the refugee crisis that many are reeling from.

What do you think about Imane Khelif’s partnership with UNICEF? Let us know your thoughts down below.