Improving Health in Haiti, from Kids to Communities

Teenage boys at Chatuley practice a health skit

For active young adults, being informed about one’s health is crucial. Players in the GOALS programs must know how to protect their health, when to go to the doctor, and how to prevent disease. At GOALS, we’ve zeroed in on the most important issues relating to the health of our participants and their families and developed a series of seminars to help spread information and train peer educators.

This month, we are bringing communities in Léogane, Haiti health seminars that focus on preventing diseases such as cholera, sexual health and decision-making, diabetes, and oral hygiene. Our partner clinic, Klinik Kominote, will provide services and technical training. Our emphasis on healthcare ties into our broader mission of improving quality of life for participants on a daily basis.

Enjoying the skits as they develop

Our methods reflect our commitment to developing leadership skills for long-term growth. First, we conduct in-depth staff training so that site coordinators are well-versed in the topic at hand. This is critical, since children and adults alike in communities with GOALS teams often approach the site coordinator with health-related questions.

Second, these site coordinators then conduct health education workshops in their communities with the assistance of senior staff. This gives coordinators a chance to learn through teaching, gain public speaking experience, and demonstrate leadership qualities to our program participants.

Local site staff, Andre and Ricardo, lead a Q&A session

Third, these participants, typically teenagers, assist the site coordinators and senior staff to bring this information to their families and to the general public. This is the last step, and the most important. Site coordinators and program participants work together to teach what they have recently learned, and they do so in creative ways. Engaging and funny skits on the importance of washing hands, for example, send the crowd off roaring with laughter. Bringing humor and theater to the discussion engages people of all ages, and makes the educational seminars fun and inviting for everyone.

This is a unique combination of things, laughter and learning. At the end of the day, this approach lies at the core of GOALS’ approach. Engaging the community, making sustainable development fun, learning through teaching – this is what GOALS is all about. This is why we think that making a difference can feel good for everyone involved, and be effective to boot. Bravo to all of our fantastic teachers and leaders, from staff to students!

Enjoying the skits in Chatuley

For more information on our ongoing health seminars, and an upcoming mobile clinic, don’t forget to visit us on Facebook and Twitter!

GOALS welcomes Sam Sezak to the Board of Directors

GOALS is pleased to announce that Sam Sezak has joined our Board of Directors! Sam comes to us with a wealth of business experience, and has been instrumental in helping GOALS grow and develop during the past year. Sam Sezak is a partner at Blue Heron Capital, a boutique PE group that invests in early stage, growth, and buy-out opportunities. He is actively involved with Blue Heron’s portfolio of companies including innRoad and CSA Medical. Prior to this, Sam served as portfolio manager for New Vantage Group a venture capital firm where he co-managed a portfolio of over $35 million and 35 early stage companies. In addition, Sam has lectured and consulted around the world on the topic of angel investing.  Prior to joining New Vantage Group, Sam worked for Merrill Lynch’s Global Markets and Investment Banking Division.

Sam spent several years in Ukraine and in Poland, first as a US Peace Corps Volunteer and then as a Consultant, where he advised foreign investors looking to enter the marketplace, co-managed a European-funded tourism development project, developed and delivered customer service training programs for hotel and restaurant managers, and worked with government officials and local entrepreneurs to organize multiple marketing cooperatives. In addition to serving on the GOALS Board of Directors, he is an advisor to Agora Partnerships, a non-profit committed to supporting entrepreneurs in Central America. Sam holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Cornell School of Hospitality Management and a Masters of Business from Georgetown University.

GOALS in the news

GOALS'  youth soccer tournament, VinJwe, generated quite a buzz here in Haiti, and news of the tournament has reached far and wide. A live interview with GOALS founder Kona Shen and Regional Coordinator Emilio Jean Paul was broadcast from the tournament and heard across Haiti at 104.9 RFMHaiti and in Haitian Creole language station Energy Radio out of Boston, Massachusetts.

The sporting world also took notice of this unique event in Haiti. TotalFootballMag featured GOALS’ tournament on it’s front page and also in their World football news section. Check it out: Youth tournament in Haiti proves football is more than just a game.

On the other side of the Atlantic, SheKicks magazine, a woman's soccer news publication in the UK, featured several pictures of our girls' teams for their international news section. You can read it here: Haiti's GOALS Hit the Target.

And, to top off the media buzz, Kreyolicious blog, which celebrates the accomplishments of Haitian-Americans, featured an interview with GOALS founder Kona Shen, naming her a "Friend of Haiti": Kona Shen of GOALS: Using Soccer to Engage Kids.

Now that the tournament is over, we're preparing for our soccer summer camp programs here in Leogane, which give even more kids and communities the opportunity to benefit from GOALS programs.

Click here to visit our Facebook page, with lots more great pictures and program updates from the field!

Congratulations to all of the Vin Jwe tournament players!

Girls huddle

GOALS 2nd annual spring soccer tournament, Vin Jwe! (Come and Play), was a huge success! First, congratulations to the winning teams: Fondation L'Athletique D'Haiti’s boys’ and girls’ teams, from Citè Soleil, edged out the competition to take home the championship cup. CNN Hero Patrice Millet’s FONDAPS team took home the second place trophy and the Citadelle Football Club from downtown Port-au-Prince placed second in the girls division. The GOALS girls' and boys' teams both demonstrated their hard work and talent and made it to the semi-finals. The players, local community, and supporting partners at the tournament all had a great weekend.

Over 250 players ages 13 -18 from around Haiti participated in the tournament. We were lucky to be joined by two fantastic organizational partners who came together to encourage and empower the young players to take charge of their personal health. BoulderShares, which also sponsored the event, provided individualized health counseling and launched the use of a new health card to enable youth to track information about their health. Global DIRT was on hand to provide first aid care.

Each team received personal care kits with a variety of donated first aid supplies and hand sanitizer, plus information about protecting themselves against cholera and other health risks. A professional DJ had the kids dancing on the fields in between matches. The DJ also reinforced health and hygiene messages throughout the tournament. An estimated 1,000 people filled the sidelines to support their favorite teams.

Along with learning how to take charge of their health, the young players were treated to an inspiring exhibition match played by Haiti’s national amputee team.

We are proud of the sportsmanship and spirit displayed by all of the teams at the tournament. The girls teams in particular demonstrated an inspiring level of determination and high level of play. Through their love of soccer, these girls have become confident, healthy, determined young women. It’s incredible to see the support they have from the community, including from hundreds of men and boys who cheered them on as they played for a championship title.

Though soccer has a long history in Haiti, using soccer to advance development and promote health is relatively new. By hosting the largest youth soccer tournament in Haiti, GOALS is furthering its ongoing efforts to use soccer as a means to advance social change at the community and national level. Stay tuned, because next year's Vin Jwe! Tournament will be even better!

Love the photos?
Click here to visit our Facebook page, with lots more great pictures and program updates from the field!

Ed and Kathlene are getting married!

Ed and Kathlene

Ed and Kathlene are getting married, and we couldn’t be happier for them! Who are Ed and Kathleen and what do they have to do with GOALS Haiti? Instead of a traditional wedding registry for their beachside wedding next month, Ed and Kathlene, of Santa Monica, California have decided that they’d prefer to help bring soccer (football, if you’re not American) and development projects to improve the lives of kids living in poverty in Haiti. Guests have been asked to forego buying punch bowls and toaster ovens and instead make a donation in their name to support the important work of GOALS Haiti. Who needs a toaster oven or a punch bowl anyways?

Their timing couldn’t be more perfect. With summer just around the corner, GOALS is prepping for this year’s summer camp, which gives us the opportunity to engage with new kids, and to bring real improvements to communities that need it most. Our goal is to raise enough money to send 250 kids to camp this summer. At camp, kids play soccer, learn about the environment, how to keep themselves healthy, and get a nutritious hot meal.

Of course, you don’t have to be getting married in order to support GOALS programs. As a small organization, a donation of any size will make a meaningful impact.

Ed and Kathlene aren’t telling where they’re going to spend their honeymoon, but I know if they ever wanted to come to Haiti, these kids would be happy to see them.

GOALS kids get a hot meal every day at camp

On behalf of all these kids, thanks for thinking of us, Ed and Kathleen (and for letting us share your amazing story on our blog)! We wish you the best on your special day!

Vinn Jwe - You're Invited to GOALS' 2nd Annual Spring Soccer Tournament!

Vinn Jwe!

GOALS invites you to participate in a very exciting event, our 2nd Annual Spring Football Tournament. The tournament will be held on April 14-15, 2012 at L’Athlétique d’Haïti, Robert Duval’s youth football facility in Cité Soleil. The tournament will run 8am-6pm both days. Boys’ and girls’ teams between the ages of 13 and 18 will take part in the tournament.

There are 3 ways to participate:

  1. Register a team! Please refer to the Information for Teams document. The deadline for team registration is March 21, 2012. The registration is first come, first serve, so please contact us as soon as possible!
     
  2. Join us as an organizational partner to provide information and/or services related to youth development.
     
  3. Support the tournament as a sponsor. Please contact us via email if you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities.

In addition, this event will be free and open to the public and we invite everyone to come as spectators and cheer on the teams!

This tournament is special because its goal is to generate community attendance of over 500 people and invite all players and spectators to come for health services and resources provided by Partners in Health. The theme of the tournament is “pwoteje tèt ou – protect your health!” and will empower youth to be proactive about their health. We would be honored if you would join us at this exciting event!

Email: contact@goalshaiti.org

With Love, from GOALS

All Stars

2012 has been off to a busy start here at GOALS. In January, our first ever All Stars Boys’ Team traveled to Port-au-Prince for a friendly match against Boby Duval’s players at L'Atheltique d'Haiti in Cite Soleil. We were lucky to have Julia, from Le JIT Productions, on hand to help document the excitement throughout the day. Fans packed the stands and cheered the team on with chants, songs and clapping. The game ended 0-0 but was extremely well played, and our coaches were proud of the players’ performances.

Traveling to the capital for a game was an exciting event, but this level of passionate support from players’ families and friends is nothing unusual. Every game with every team draws dozens of spectators who analyze every play like it’s a professional match. Small kids come to watch, their eyes huge with awe as they watch the players sprint down the field. Friends and peers keep up loud chants and songs, while parents and local residents simply soak up the ambience. This month, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we are taking a moment to appreciate all of the love that communities in Leogane have for their GOALS teams.

Team huddle

In some places, soccer is still considered primarily a boys’ sport. In GOALS, we know that’s not true. 50% of our sponsored teams are girls’ teams. Other activities and programs draw an average of 45% female participants. As we help to change the idea of who should be playing soccer, the number of girls in our programs keeps growing.

One of our newest teams, the Carrefour Croix girls’ team, is now sponsored by Duane Graham. Kimberly Francois, the local coordinator, told me proudly that while there are 25 players on the official roster, usually no less than 40 show up to the field ready for practice. It took several months for the girls in this area to embrace the idea of their own team, but now they’re as passionate and committed as any boys’ team in the area to their daily practices and weekly matches.

The community in Carrefour Croix has embraced the girls’ team as well. At a recent match, the boys and adult men yielded the field to the girls for their match, giving up their practice time so the girls would have a chance to compete. There were no hard feelings, either. Everyone crowded around the sidelines of the field to cheer for the girls, encourage them, offer lots of advice, and celebrate when the team won their game, 2-1. 

Carrefour Croix girls

This Valentine’s Day, we would like to thank all of the GOALS communities in Leogane for their support of their local teams. Furthermore, thank you to all of the supporters in the United States who have helped push this year off to such a strong start. In addition to Duane Graham, Sean and Kellee Glass are now sponsoring the Darbonne girls’ team as well, rounding out our sponsored teams to ten total in the Leogane area. As a result, in January we were able to reach 574 children in our daily programs!

Finally, in Danielson, CT, Jared Bowns has been an incredible volunteer who has raised awareness, funds and equipment for our programs in Haiti. Thanks to Jared, GOALS has been featured in The Villager and The Bulletin newspapers and on WINY Radio in northeastern Connecticut.

Thank you all for such a great start to the year, and happy Valentine’s Day!

Friends and fans

Love the photos?
Click here to visit our Facebook page, with lots more great pictures and program updates from the field!

GOALS welcomes Fritz Pierre-Louis to the Board of Directors

Fritz Pierre-Louis

GOALS is excited to announce that Fritz Pierre-Louis, of Magepa S.A., has joined our Board of Directors! Fritz is from Leogane, Haiti where GOALS’ operations are concentrated, where he is widely recognized as a prominent local leader and businessman. Fritz received his early education in Leogane, and continued his studies in the United States after his family moved to Connecticut, where he received his electrical engineering degree. Magepa S.A. is co-run with his brother, Paul, has been constructing safe and affordable homes in Haiti for over a decade. Fritz has worked with GOALS previously to make its Waves for Water/Nike Game Changer projects possible, and to provide hundreds of families with clean drinking water. We are honored by this addition to our growing Board of Directors as we continue to develop our internal capacity and on-the-ground programs to improve the quality of life for young people and their communities in Haiti.

Fritz demonstrates a simple water filtration system.

Love the photos?
Click here to visit our Facebook page, with lots more great pictures and program updates from the field!

AN INTERVIEW WITH PRO SOCCER PLAYER JAMES MARCELIN, GOALS' FIRST INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR

James Marcelin

James Marcelin, midfielder for Haiti’s National Team, previously with the Portland Timbers and newly signed with Sporting KC in Kansas City, Kansas, is GOALS' first-ever international ambassador! Mr. Marcelin was born in St. Marc, Haiti, and has had a prominent career in Haiti and abroad. He joined Haiti’s national soccer team in 2007 and signed onto MLS team the Portland Timbers in 2010 and Sporting KC in Kansas City, Kansas in December, 2014.

James in his GOALS t-shirt

As an ambassador, Mr. Marcelin will help raise awareness about GOALS’ work and will serve as a role model for the 500-plus soccer players in GOALS’ daily youth programs in Haiti. Excerpts from GOALS' Interview with James Marcelin:

Why do you like GOALS?
Marcelin: I would say that I like GOALS because they're doing something positive to help the Haitian community in Haiti. I am willing to support the children and be a good role model to them as a professional soccer player.

What is your family like?
Marcelin: One thing I would say about my family is that they're very supportive. Especially my mom, she has been supporting me from the beginning until now. I will never turn my back on them.

What do you miss about Haiti?
Marcelin: I miss pretty much everything about Haiti, starting with my family and friends.

What advice can you offer to younger players?
Marcelin: The advice I would offer to young players is to let them know that if I can do it, they can do it as well. They also have to focus on their education. They must have a destination at an early age. They have to know where they're at and where they want to be. One of the most important thing I want them to know is to never let somebody tell them they CANNOT DO IT because they CAN DO anything positive they put their heart to as long as they believe.

We absolutely agree that education is so important! Which is why we created the GOALS Dream Team School Scholarship fund so that GOALS soccer players have the opportunity to attend school. Click here for more information or to sponsor a student athlete.

Thank you so much for your interview, James, and for being such a great role model to the children GOALS works with every single day in Leogane, Haiti. Wishing you best of luck to you with Sporting Kansas City!

Be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more updates and photos from our sport-for-development programs on the soccer fields of Leogane, Haiti.

Happy New Year! A letter from our Founder and Director

New cleats at Destra!

Dear GOALS Supporter,
Sometimes it seems there’s no better feeling in the world than to help a child put on that first pair of cleats. The big eyes, unrestrained glee, and clapping hands look like the purest form of joy.

Other times it seems like the best feeling must be building a new soccer fieldin a rural community where children play soccer barefoot. In one area, over 150 people of all ages showed up to help.

Or maybe it’s supporting the formation of a new soccer team, and cheering players on in their first game. For these young adults, it is their first time lacing up cleats, pulling socks over their shin guards, and proudly wearing a brand-new uniform to represent their community, and to represent GOALS.

Sportsmanship at Darbonne
Terasonson girls

Then again, it’s a remarkable feeling to hand out complete sets of brand-new school books to our scholarship recipients. The books on literature, science, and math all light up the students’ eyes.

Lastly, one of my favorite feelings is witnessing youth organize and carry out community projects and accomplish  real changes in their own backyards. Building public meeting spaces with discarded tires; taking on road rehabilitation in remote areas; planting vegetable gardens; and cleaning up hundreds of bags of litter – these projects are why GOALS is about much more than soccer alone.

2011 was a busy year for GOALS. The daily impact of our youth development programs has doubled in the past six months, and we now reach 476 children per day. The number of scholarship recipients doubled as well, and 23 students – our “Dream Team” – are now able to attend high school. From our start in a small fishing village with 120 children just 18 months ago, we have been doing our best to meet the demand for GOALS programs throughout the country.

High five!

The increase in GOALS’ impact attests to our dedication to empowering youth to making a difference in their lives today, and for future generations. Our mission is to use soccer to engage youth in community work that improves their quality of life, the environment, and local leadership.

This progress has been thanks to our international family of supporters, aka “Team GOALS.” By making a donation, raising awareness, collecting equipment – or all of the above! – you have made it possible for GOALS to expand its programs and reach more kids in Haiti. 100% of your donation goes directly to our programs in Haiti, and all donations are tax-deductible. Thank you for all the ways in which you have contributed to the successes of 2011.

We’re looking forward to the upcoming year and our plans to reach more kids throughout Haiti. New workshops, professional soccer clinics, expansion of summer camps, and outreach to handicapped children are all at the top of the agenda. Our core programs will remain a priority as we continue to focus on improving quality of life on a daily basis. As Dream Team member Minouche Charles wrote, “I didn’t know how to play soccer, or do recycling, or plant gardens and now thanks to GOALS we can do all that . . . we have found a better way to live.”

From everyone at GOALS, thank you for everything and happy new year to you and your family!

Thanks for a great year!
Kona Shen
Founder & Director

P.S. Love the photos? Click here to visit our Facebook page, with lots more great pictures and program updates from the field!

5 Easy Ways to Help GOALS This Holiday Season

“Team GOALS” stretches around the world, and we are lucky to count students, families, professionals, and soccer fans among our supporters, to name a few. All year, GOALS fans ask how they can get involved, support our daily soccer-for-development programs, and make an important impact to help kids’ lives in Haiti.

There are more reasons than ever to support our soccer programs in Haiti. GOALS’ daily impact has nearly doubled since June 2011 and we now reach 476 children per day in our after-school soccer sites in Léogane, Haiti. We have added six soccer teams to our roster since September, and granted 23 high school scholarships to hard-working, ambitious young leaders who form our Dream Team.

CF Croix Pele Shirts

Here are five easy ways that you can join Team GOALS and make a difference by helping kids in Haiti. If you’re thinking about donating, don’t forget that every donation is tax-deductible, and 100% of your contribution goes directly to fund our daily programs to help kids in Haiti. 

  1. Establish a Fan Club Do you love GOALS? If so, start your very own fan club! This is a fun way to connect with your friends and family and help us raise awareness about GOALS’ programs in Haiti helping kids in Haiti. Fan club leaders invite 25 people to join their club, and share GOALS’ news and photos with their club throughout the year. GOALS will send fan club leaders exclusive news and photos from our kids programs in Haiti! Email contact@goalshaiti.org to become a fan club leader.
     
  2. Like Us! A great, free way to join Team GOALS! Like our Facebook page and subscribe to website updates to receive news from GOALS quickly and easily. This is the best way to check on how we’re doing, view recent photos, and keep in touch with GOALS Haiti.
     
  3. Organize an Equipment Drive Equipment drives throughout the country have made a HUGE difference to helping kids in Haiti this year! Supporters as far as Tacoma Park, Boulder, Watertown and Seattle have helped us provide our soccer players with cleats, shinguards, socks, uniforms, and soccer balls. Thanks to these donations, GOALS has been able to help more and more kids throughout Haiti with our soccer-for-development programs. Click here for more information on equipment drives. Every collected item helps a kid in Haiti!
     
  4. Make an In-Kind Contribution GOALS has a wish-list of materials and in-kind services that will help us make a bigger impact in 2012. If you have unused computers, frequent flier miles, office supplies, books, or other materials suitable for youth programs, please write to contact@goalshaiti.org to have your items picked up or shipped. These contributions help us keep our programs running strong throughout the year in Haiti.
     
  5. Donate! Thanks to commitments from GOALS’ Board of Directors, 100% of your donation will go directly to support our daily afternoon soccer programs for kids in Haiti. Through these programs, boys and girls benefit from improved soccer training, leadership skills, education, health and nutrition. Every dollar of your donation makes a big difference on the ground in Haiti: a donation of $35 provides food for 150 GOALS kids for one week, a donation of $70 funds a child’s place in our annual soccer summer camp, and a donation of $250 provides basic soccer equipment for 25 children in need. Click here to make your donation.

Thank you for your support!

A CF Croix player

Zumba for GOALS Haiti raises $3,566

Zumba for GOALS Haiti

GOALS is all about engaging kids in community work that is sustainable, effective, and fun. This fall, supporters in Seattle, WA embraced this philosophy and organized GOALS' first-ever fundraiser with the help of Community Fitness. "Zumba for GOALS Haiti" raised a grand total of $3,566 for our daily youth programs in Haiti, and will be used to provide children with soccer equipment, project materials, and hot meals.

The event's line-up featured dance classes by three of Seattle's top Zumba instructors, Medora Cesarano, Sol Alberione, and Nelson Euflauzino. Kona Shen, Founder and Director of GOALS, gave a brief presentation, and Community Fitness displayed photos from the programs in Haiti, along with printed information. The night was filled with dancing and music, with lots of food and drink for all of the attendees and volunteers.

Practice in Haiti

From everyone at GOALS, a very special thanks to the event's organizers, Diane Atkinson and Natasha Jacob. We would also like to thank Community Fitness for all their help, including donating a beautiful space for the event. In addition, we would like to thank the Riley and Nancy Pleas Foundation for a matching grant, made possible by Joe and Maureen Brotherton.

A group of extraordinary volunteers helped make the night run smoothly. A big thanks to Bill Dietze, Dana Standish, Debbie Sporcich, Edward Shen, Jen Haberman, Jessika Rodriguez, Lachlan Yeoman, Lea Skolnik, Nadine Fabbi, Stephanie Popham, and Tina Pulliam!

Finally, thank you to everyone who donated!

Zumba event

Want to keep supporting GOALS?
Consider subscribing to the website, making a tax-deductible donation, or liking our Facebook page.
Thank you!

GOALS Students Score Scholarships

Cassandra Cirus

This fall, with the start of a new school year, 23 students in Léogane, Haiti have received high school scholarships from GOALS thanks to a successful fundraising campaign by Jovan Julien. 

Education is one of the most important things in the world to Haitian families. Families save all their earnings to put as many of their children as possible through school. In Léogane, children often own only one uniform, which they wash at the end of the school day and leave out to dry before heading off again to school in the morning. Lack of books, materials, food and transportation don’t deter these ambitious young adults from pursuing their educations.

Primary school enrollment rates in Haiti are about 50%, and by secondary school, enrollment declines to about 20%. (Click here for more statistics on Haiti from UNICEF.) By the end of high school, many students have dropped out not because of delinquency, or poor grades, but simply for lack of funding. 

Destra scholarship recipients

The education system is historically based on the French model, and it can be unforgiving. There are 14 years of primary and secondary school combined, and there are virtually no public schools available. The few public institutions that do exist aren’t free – they charge entrance, monthly, and examination fees just like other schools, though at lower rates. It’s a challenge for poor and middle-class families to put even one child through school, no matter how bright or committed he or she is. 

At GOALS, we believe in education in the classroom and out in communities. Last year, GOALS was able to grant ten scholarships to high school students for our first-ever “Dream Team.” This year, Jovan Julien successfully raised over $10,000 for this year’s Team! 

Jovan Julien is a Teach for America teacher in Atlanta, GA who volunteered for GOALS this summer to conduct photography workshops with teenagers in Léogane. To see Jovan’s photos from his time with GOALS, click here. 

Dream Team presentation

Dream Team members are thus named for their exceptional academic merit, demonstrated leadership capabilities, and ongoing commitment to the development in their communities. To maintain eligibility for the scholarships, Dream Team members conduct extra hours of community service and educational seminars each week. Dream Team members are expected to serve as role models for younger children, and outreach educators for the community at large.

The Dream Team is currently developing presentations for children and local residents on first aid skills, planting vegetable gardens, hygiene and sanitation promotion, and the SODIS-method of purifying water. After a year in the Dream Team, scholarship recipients will have new practical skills to improve quality of life in their communities, and experience as active young leaders and educators.

Thank you to everyone who has made this year’s Dream Team a reality! 

Dream Team donors

Four Figures and Countless Smiles - GOALS Wraps Up a Busy Summer

The Darbonne girls team

At the end of August, GOALS wrapped up a jam-packed summer in Haiti. In June, we expanded to new communities in the south and reached a benchmark of 500 youth participants in our programs. In July, we were kept busy with summer camp and volunteer-run workshops. In August, children collected litter from public areas and GOALS teams had strong showings in Léogane’s summer tournament series.

Other highlights include:

  • Volunteer Lance Anderson, who has worked closely with teams in Léogane on the field and in the classroom. In addition to coaching, Lance has taught English and computer skills and helped develop GOALS’ administratively behind the scenes.
     
  • The International Platform on Sport and Development featured GOALS as a notable organization using sport in Haiti.
     
  • Volunteers from Sustain Haiti returned to Destra for their second summer in a row, where they taught English and first aid courses, and worked with staff and campers on GOALS’ community garden.
     
  • GOALS benefited from incredible support from Ken Sommers, Jim Litrownik, Heather White, and Jesse Griff-McMahon – thank you!

New cleats!

As GOALS has grown its programs this summer, we’ve continued to develop how we evaluate our impact in Haiti. Some numbers are simple enough – our programs reach over 500 children in five main areas in the west, south and southeast. On average, each participant lives with about seven other people. Through our outreach to player’s families, such as distribution of water filtration systems, GOALS impacts an additional 3,500 people. That’s a big difference!

Here’s another number: 4,050. That is a conservative calculation of the number of gallons of trash that children collected from public areas through GOALS programs this summer. Haiti’s environmental problems are widespread, and litter only accounts for a fraction of the problem. However, training a new generation of young leaders to take action on these problems can make a huge difference.

Destra's undefeated goalkeeper (photo: Jovan Julien)

Finally, the simplest number of all: 0. That’s the number of games that the boys’ team from Destra – GOALS’ first ever team – lost in their first year of playing. This summer, the “Kona Athletic Club” celebrated twelve months of competing undefeated. The team played approximately 50 games, often against highly trained adults, and practiced hard to earn this record.

These numbers tell the story of GOALS best. We’re thrilled to be reaching hundreds of children, and are working hard to improve their communities, educational opportunities, and the environment. Our true impact may be much larger – these figures don’t account for the difference one GOALS player can have on his neighbor, or her classmate at school.

Enjoying summer camp (photo: Jovan Julien)

That aside, what it really comes down to is love of soccer. From everything that GOALS accomplished this summer, what stands out most are the smiles. Players chasing indestructible footballs on a mountain, juggling during lunch breaks, winding up for a kick – all with huge grins on their faces. The joy these kids find on the field is contagious, and that is something to celebrate as we gear up for fall.

Want to put a smile on your own face? Don’t forget – you’re invited to “Zumba for GOALS Haiti,” a fundraiser in Seattle on September 17. Click here for event details.

A huge thank you to Nick Smith from California, who is unable to make the event but generously donated the cost of his trip instead! Click here to make a donation.

Play Soccer, Drink Clean Water: GOALS teams up with Waves 4 Water to change the game

The GOALS crew at Darbonne

More people die from preventable, water-borne illnesses each year than from malaria, HIV/AIDS and war combined. Waves for Water is on a mission to make the epidemic of dirty drinking water ancient history around the world. In Haiti, GOALS is now W4W’s newest implementation partner, and we are working together to ensure that after playing soccer, every kid in Haiti will have access to clean water. This is sport-for-development in action! With Nike’s Game Changer kits, which combines soccer gear and a simple filtration system in a bucket, GOALS is currently establishing new program sites with local community leaders.

In June, GOALS and W4W distributed kits to some of our current football teams in Léogane, Haiti in addition to supporting new sites. We visited Daniel Tillas, a partner of ours in the Cité Soleil neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, for a demonstration and distribution under the scorching sun and midday heat. As everyone watched, sweating and shielding their eyes, the W4W crew showed how to use the filter system. When the dirty, murky water was transformed into clear, sweet drinking water, the kids clamored for ataste. It was incredible to see children reaching eagerly for the clean water. All it took was one person to sip the filtered water for everyone to believe that the kits weren’t too good to be true. Even better, when the demonstration was over, the kids took off playing with their new soccer balls with the knowledge that they could drink clean water when they finished. Can soccer be used for international development? Clearly, yes!

Jon Rose, founder and director of W4W, demonstrates the filter system

From Cité Soleil, GOALS and W4W headed south to La Coline and St George. This summer, GOALS has started new soccer programs in both areas, marking our expansion outside of the Leogane area. All in all, we were able to distribute 200 kits in just a few days, all to sites where soccer-for-development programs are either well established or slated to begin this summer. As a result, we will be able to ensure that the kits are being used correctly, answer any questions, and continue our emphasis on civic leadership and environmental stewardship through love of the game.

We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Waves for Water, and we’re excited to bring you more news of our shared work soon. We started with 120 children in one fishing village in Leogane a year ago, and are now working with over 500 kids throughout Haiti’s West and South regions. Most of our projects impact players’ families as well – as the average player has an additional seven residents in his or her household, GOALS is indirectly affecting an additional 3,500 people. Thanks to Waves 4 Water, GOALS is now poised to change the quality of daily life for kids in Haiti faster than ever before, helping us strive to become one of the country’s true Game Changers.

W4W at Darbonne (Photo: Jack Rose)

Going to be in Seattle this September? Come to our "Zumba for GOALS" fundraiser at Community Fitness in Seattle on September 17, 5:30-8:30. Check our homepage soon for complete details!

Like these photos? Visit the supplementary photo albums (one and two) on our Facebook page.

An Indestructible Love of the Game

Summer camp, 2010

This month, GOALS is celebrating a birthday – it’s been exactly one year since we started working in Destra, a small fishing village in Léogane, Haiti!  We kicked off GOALS in 2010 by debuting the area’s first summer camp, first youth programs, and first free, organized sports activities for kids. Now, GOALS has over 500 children in its programs in Haiti, from La Coline in the South to the high mountains of Magandu in the West.

Summer camp at Destra is better than ever, with over 120 children from the area participating each day in soccer training, service projects, ESL classes and first aid seminars. Meanwhile, our neighborhood teams are busy with competitions and community projects. The last few months have shown how far the children, young adults, and staff here have come as they teach newly added sites and coordinators about leadership, the environment, and community development. 

A new Magandu player (Photo: Jovan Julien)

This month, GOALS climbed mountains to start work in a remote community called Magandu, located high above the town of Grand Goave. Driving up the steep, rocky roads, you quickly feel isolated from the bustling town below. Though extreme erosion is visible in the rocky soil, farmers make a living on small plots by growing vegetables to feed their families and sell at the weekly market. In order to reach that market, children and adults alike will hike for miles, tugging their horse or donkey behind them under the full midday sun.

In other words, this is no place for just any kind of soccer ball. In June, GOALS was fortunate to receive a shipment of 200 blue, indestructible soccer balls donated by One World Futbol. These sturdy soccer balls not only resist normal wear-and-tear, they can survive virtually anything, from sharp rocks to a sledgehammer. As GOALS volunteer Jovan Julien noted, the balls “have built-in pumps allowing the staff to maintain them without any additional expensive equipment.” 

This ball lasted less than one day!

Last summer, one of GOALS’ first posts ever described how quickly a standard soccer ball was worn to a pulp here. Kids will play soccer for hours on end, endlessly diving into pick-up games until a ball is flat, bald, and falling apart at the seams. With our most remote communities, GOALS needs to ensure that team equipment doesn’t disintegrate as soon as we’re gone. Thanks to the One World Futbols, we know that no matter what happens in the sites each month, their soccer balls will still be going strong when we return for the next visit.

Children everywhere in Haiti go crazy for soccer – they’ll play anytime, anywhere. The children who grow up in Haiti’s most rural communities exemplify this. They carve out fields in the sides of mountains, play barefoot over spiky rocks, and will run down steep slopes to chase down errant balls without breaking a sweat. 

In Magandu, the joy on the kids’ faces as they pulled on their bright, green uniforms lit them up from within. They stood proudly with the new equipment, eyeing everything reverently for a split second, until they couldn’t wait any longer to start playing. As you read this, odds are that these children are kicking around an indestructible futbol in Magandu with enough passion to rival World Cup champions.

Scrimmaging in La Coline

GOALS relies on donations to hire local coordinators, provide food to participants and buy project materials such as rakes and shovels to plant gardens and clean up public areas. We greatly appreciate all support and every donation goes a long way. A hot meal to a GOALS player, for example, costs only 30 cents a plate. If you’ve considered supporting GOALS in the past, please consider making a tax-deductible donation now to help our programs grow. 

Thanks to first-time donors this month, GOALS has been able to support sites such as Magandu with equipment and basic materials. We would like to thank Rachel Katz and Matthew Burrell for their contributions last month and Jim Litrownik for starting off August with a generous donation to support our work throughout Haiti.

Magandu Girls Team (Photo: Jovan Julien)

Meanwhile, Lora and Jesse Griff organized a phenomenal equipment and fundraising drive, which is providing a great deal of support to GOALS kids. In addition, William Dise, Caroline Ellis, Vanessa Alix, and Juliet Shen all donated their time and services to help keep things running smoothly internationally. Here in Haiti, we were sad to see volunteers Jovan Julien and Alex Carroll depart, but are now lucky enough to have Lance Anderson here helping out for the rest of the summer. From everyone at GOALS, thank you for all your support!

Taking a break at Destra

We’re headed back to Magandu this week to work on developing the sites’ soccer program, community service projects, and new educational opportunities. We know that when we reach the top of that mountain, we’ll see kids running toward us with huge smiles on their faces and the same sturdy soccer balls at their feet. Their joy is contagious, and we’re excited to see this passion for the game fuel their commitment to their communities and themselves.

Want more GOALS news? Check out The Huffington Post’s coverage this month, or check out the supplementary photo album for this post on our Facebook page.  As always, you can get in touch with us by writing contact@goalshaiti.org.

Thank you!

Make Dreams Come True: GOALS' scholarship campaign kicks off

It's safe to say that in Haiti, there are few things more important than education. Children in our program sites regularly walk for over an hour to go to school. Students can usually only afford one uniform, and this they must wash daily when they return home, letting it dry overnight. Children study at night by candlelight, and parents make endless sacrifices to help them continue in school as long as possible. The passion and dedication that these youth have for learning is truly incredible.

A year's worth of school fees is approximately $300, which includes all tuition, material, uniform, and meal costs. To most foreigners, this seems like a reasonable cost, but the fact is that this is simply unaffordable for many of the families that GOALS works with. 

Last year, GOALS provided ten of its Dream Team leaders with scholarships based on the students' academic and community service records. This year, thanks to volunteer extraordinaire, Jovan Julien, we are seeking to triple this amount and raise enough money to send 30 of these teenagers to school this fall. 

Want to learn more about these students?
Check out the great National Dream Team website that Jovan set up, which profiles two new scholarship candidates each week and showcases their own photos and stories. 

Ready to donate?
Please visit our fundraising campaign at Crowdrise to make your contribution. All donations are tax deductible.

Every single donation counts!
Our goal is to have as many GOALS supporters participate as possible. Please consider donating anywhere from $5 - the cost of a morning latte - to supporting a Dream Team leader's education in full for the upcoming year. Click here to donate.

These young men and women are extraordinary, and consistently demonstrate their commitment to community service and leadership on the field and off it. Please help us invest in their futures in any way that you can. 

Thank you!

Dream Team scholarship recipients, 2010
Dream Team scholarship recipients, 2010


"It gives me membership of something bigger and greater than myself. Not only am I a part of something bigger I also know that I am helping to change my life and the lives of those in my community for the better."

- Sendue Ferdinand, on being a Dream Team leader

500 happy, healthy players... and counting!

A homemade soccer field in rural Haiti (Destra, 2007)

When you drive through Haiti, it’s amazing how many soccer fields you see. On the side of highways, steep mountain slopes, in front yards, and on the beach – makeshift pitches are everywhere. Nearly all of the time, they’re odd shapes, sizes, and surfaces. The beautiful thing is, though, that the rocks underfoot and lopsided goal posts don’t change anything that’s important about the game. The kids still run as hard as they can, show off their footwork, and cheer like they’ve won the World Cup after every goal.

GOALS has been on the road in Haiti a lot in the last month. We started new sites in La Coline and St. George in Haiti’s South department; Bainet, in the Southeast; Magandu in the West; and nearly doubled our programs in Leogane. This means that we’ve been jumping in the car and seeing the country’s most remote rural communities, and helping some of Haiti’s poorest kids discover the joy of playing soccer with a real ball. These kids already know that GOALS does more than just soccer, however. Community clean ups, clean drinking water, and scholarships are all part of our efforts to improve these young players’ of quality of life now and in the future.

As a result of our busy month, GOALS is proud to announce that we currently work with over 500 children through our daily programs in Haiti! Most of our projects impact players’ families as well – as the average player has an additional seven residents in his or her household, GOALS is indirectly affecting an additional 3,500 people.

GOALS' newest team, sponsored by The Delaney Bay Fund

How is this all possible? The first-time donors who contributed this month, commitment of local staff, and immense support from our sites’ communities all allowed us to go farther this month than ever before.

We’ve benefitted as well from exceptional international visitors and volunteers, who have donated their time, energy, and expertise in June. Owen Bartlett, of SustainaBall Change, visited us to distribute soccer balls and other equipment, allowing us to support current sites and create new ones. We had an amazing time with the crew from Waves 4 Water, and are thrilled about our collaboration to provide children in Haiti with Nike’s game changer kits, which combine basic soccer gear with simple water filtration systems.

Shayna Teutsch ran a one-week girl power workshop of her own creation, called “Rise Up!” The workshop was a huge success, with over 30 girls participating daily in activities that developed self-confidence, taught new life skills, and engaged them in sport. Thanks to Shayna, a new team was formed, and these girls now practice daily with a volunteer coach. We are seeking sponsors to help this team build on their early successes.

GOALS' newest girls' team warms up with a song

In addition to Shayna, we’ll bring you stories and pictures from Jovan Julien and Alex Carroll, GOALS volunteers who are still with us in Haiti. Jovan has been conducting a three week photography workshop with local players and Alex is improving our vegetable gardening program and researching local agriculture practices.

With all of these developments, our original site, in a fishing village called Destra, has continued to flourish. This year, the staff has taken on more responsibility for the camp and are working with over 100 children daily in a range of educational, sport, and creative activities. The participants are growing up, and their development as young leaders is reason to celebrate. It’s wonderful to see how confident our staff members are in their work and how happy the children are as part of GOALS. 

School children in our newest site run to greet GOALS and Waves 4 Water

GOALS is poised for an exciting summer. We’ll be bringing you news from our daily programs, new teams, and international partners in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, to see recent photos and updates, please visit our Facebook page. As always, we’d love to hear from you!

To get in touch, email contact@goalshaiti.org and let us know how you’d like to get involved.

Ending a community clean up in Leogane on a high note