Kemar Duhaney
>> 27/9/12 update. We've been asked if we are still fundraising: the answer is yes! The date of the funeral was recently confirmed as 12 October. Please give generously, if you are able!
Kemar Duhaney was killed on 11 July 2012, aged 21. The aim of this page is to raise money to help Kemar's family pay for his funeral and to support them generally in this difficult time.
We - Tom Ogg, Pete Quentin, Will Hodson and Robert Whelan - had the privilege of teaching Kemar. He came to the UK at 11 years of age from Jamaica, and had severe difficulties with literacy and numeracy. He got into trouble at school and outside of it, and eventually came to be taught at our school, the London Boxing Academy Committee Project (LBACP).
At the LBACP, we taught many challenging students. Kemar, however, was different. He was charming, warm and positive. Those who came to know Kemar always went out their way to help him, because he was so rewarding to help. He found in boxing a way to channel some of his frustration. And he made every effort to remove himself from the negativity that he faced growing up amongst disaffected young people in Tottenham. He was determined to overcome the academic barriers he faced, and eventually did so.
Each of us worked closely with Kemar. We all taught him one-to-one for extended periods of time. After leaving the LBACP, Robert and Tom continued to work with Kemar on his reading (partly with help from funds from Civitas, the think-tank that originally employed us to work at the LBACP). As recently as May, they were trying to organise employment for Kemar.
Those are some of the reasons why it was such a tragedy that Kemar died in the way that he did. The man charged with his murder appears to be the former partner of a girl Kemar was seeing at the time. He allegedly stabbed Kemar after a confrontation at her house. Kemar then died at the Royal Free Hospital after five hours of open-heart surgery. Kemar had nothing to do with gangs, drugs or anything else illegal. He had done no wrong. That is why Kemar's friends and family are in such utter shock that he was taken in that way.
As you may know, funerals are very expensive. Kemar's mum, Diana, will not be able to fund a fitting memorial for Kemar without help. Diana wishes to bury Kemar. We want to make that wish a reality. It will, though, cost at least seven thousand pounds to make that happen. Any contribution towards that target would be an enormous help to Kemar's family, but if you are able to give generously, please do.
Any money that remains unspent after the funeral will be used to support Kemar's family. Some newspaper coverage of Kemar's death:
