Justin Wren was a mixed martial artist who decided to change the world. Seeking a greater purpose in life, he put his fighting career on hold and set out to make a difference in the lives of those who needed it most. He traveled deep into the jungles of the Congo where he met the Mbuti Pygmies, a persecuted group that lives in slavery and abject poverty.
Justin found the Mbuti Pygmies to be caring, warmhearted people, but watched them be denied the most basic of human rights. Over the next four years, Wren made several trips to the Congo, with one lasting a full year for Wren to stay with the Pygmy people. He lived in the same twig-and-leaf huts they did, slept on the jungle floor and immersed himself in their culture. The Pygmies gave him the name Eféosa, which means “The Man Who Loves Us.”
“I knew for the Pygmies to be free they needed to own their own land, have access to clean water, and develop sustainable agriculture – all for the first time,” says Wren. “I founded the Fight for the Forgotten initiative to work to provide those things to them. With these three simple things, we can begin to break the chain of poverty, suffering, and even modern day slavery.”
Since 2011, Justin and Fight for the Forgotten have provided nearly 3,000 acres of land and 25 water wells to the Pygmies. They have fulltime staff of 18 Congolese nationals who specialize in community development who are working to drill new wells and teach the Pygmies farming practices.
Precision MMA has joined Justin’s fight and this past year they worked to raise nearly $7,000.00 for Water4, the organization that is working to bring clean water to the Mbuti Pygmies and others across the globe who do not have access to clean drinking water.
Here, Justin personally thanks all the generous members of Precision MMA and talks about how the funds raised will be put to good use.
. Once he retired and put 100% of his efforts into teaching his gym grew exponentially. Today Precision Mixed Martial Arts boasts several hundred students and is home to multiple black belt instructors, as well as golden gloves, muay thai and mixed martial arts champions. There are success stories of everyday men, women and children who have changed their lives through martial arts by learning to defend themselves, gaining discipline and focus, or regaining their health and fitness.
