'Sixteen and stabbed twice - my life had to change'

Kairo said after he was stabbed, his brother stopped eating and had nightmares

A 16-year-old boy who survived two separate stabbing attacks said seeing the effect on his young brother made him turn his life around.

Kairo suffered injuries to his chest, wrist and knee during the most recent violence in Wolverhampton city centre last year.

One puncture narrowly missed his heart and he nearly died. He also survived a separate stabbing when he was 14.

When his brother stopped eating and suffered nightmares after the latest attack, Kairo said he thought: “This can’t go on.”

He decided to turn his back on violence, found a mentor who “saved him” and is now volunteering as a mentor to young people himself.

“Back in the past, I was living a type of lifestyle,” he said.

“But I knew if I stayed on that path, it was only going to get worse.”

Learning martial arts at a mentoring scheme has transformed his life

He said he was stabbed in 2022 when a fight broke out.

“I did think my life was over because I felt my lungs collapsing,” he said. He spent two weeks in hospital recovering.

He said the knifeman was arrested but never charged because, fearing repercussions, Kairo declined to cooperate with the police investigation.

He ended up seeking help from the Wolverhampton-based social enterprise InPower Academy.

Using martial arts, it has helped thousands of young people turn their lives around since its inception in 2011.

It is run by Daryl Chambers, who Kairo said had transformed his life.

“He taught me to be resilient. I want to inspire people to do the same thing,” he said.

“If it wasn’t for Daryl, I wouldn’t be here now.”

Neeco said people often carried knives because they wanted to be respected

Neeco Chambers, aged 22, was also helped by the group.

He said he used to carry a knife at around the age of 12.

“I was carrying things on me because I felt there was a reputation to live up to," he said.

Neeco said a lot of young people carry knives because they wanted to be respected or feared.

He added: “For some that initially get in to selling drugs, a big thing is territory.

“So as you get deeper and deeper down the hole, you almost feel you can’t not carry because the people you have a problem with – they’re carrying and they’re doing what they need to do.”

'People feel fear'

Kairo said many young people carried knives because they were paranoid about being the victim of an attack.

“People carry, not because their intentions are to kill someone,” he said.

“It’s paranoia... because social media, everyone seeing the news and people killing each other. People are feeling fear.

“Especially a black kid – you will feel paranoid, and people feel the only way to feel safe is to carry.”

Daryl Chambers set up InPower to help turn young people away from violent lives

Daryl put his own violent past behind him when he was arrested for assault aged 17.

After completing a business management course at Wolverhampton University, he decided to combine his two passions: martial arts and helping people.

InPower was now busier than ever, working with some children as young as nine with many on a waiting list.

He said the secret to beating knife crime was providing young people with the right support and role models.

“We need to change what a successful person looks like,” he said.

“We need to change what a successful intervention looks like. To them: ‘He said something about my mom, I’ve got to beat him up.' Is that really a win?

“What does a win really look like? What’s going to satisfy you? We need to change the narrative.

“That can be done because we’ve done it. We’ve had successful interventions.”

Kairo added: “You’ve got to be there to support them.

“Help them and show them the way.”