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Outlook: I am South Africa's 'Black Mamba'

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Ronald Dlamini - the Black Mamba - MMA champion

17/10/2017 GMT

I am South Africa's 'Black Mamba'

BBC World Service - Outlook, I am South Africa's 'Black Mamba'

Meningitis left MMA fighter Ronald Dlamini blind, but he has since returned to the ring

MMA fighter Ronald Dlamini went blind after contracting meningitis but he has since returned to the ring.

Ronald Dlamini was the first black man to become South Africa's Mixed Martial Arts or MMA champion in 2009. But three years after winning the title he started getting severe headaches and slipped into a coma. When he awoke, he'd lost his sight. But since then he has returned to the ring. Ronald told us about his amazing comeback and how he got the nickname "Black Mamba". 

81-year-old Rebeca Aravena from Chile left school when she was 13 and started working in a factory. But she never gave up her dream to finish her studies and this year she finally managed to get a place at a technical university in Santiago.  

Drew Goodall always wanted to be an actor. He went to drama school and started getting parts in movies starring international actors like Brad Pitt. But after getting a bad review he decided to quit acting and ended up sleeping rough on the streets of London. Eventually his life took a turn for the better thanks to a tin of shoe polish. 

Mexican Mariachi bands are traditionally made up of men. The Flor de Toloache band of New York is an exception: all of the performers are women. Its co-founder Mireya Ramos told us why she thinks playing in the band is so empowering. 

Images and credit: Ronald Dlamini

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