Here at GOALS, we like to say that we are not a traditional aid agency. We don't believe in top-down charity, but we do believe that all of our programs should be driven forward by community engagement, strong local leaders, and players' enthusiasm. 

Last month, our Board of Directors met in Leogane to visit our sites, discuss activities, and review our progress to date. One of the results of this meeting was a new Staff Handbook developed by our talented in-country team. The Handbook is an important new resource for our site coordinators to be the strongest leaders they can be, and for the first time, we formalized our Staff Credo, the beliefs that we believe each of our incredible leaders should embody. 

We wanted to share our Credo here with the wider network of Team GOALS, and as always, we hope you'll  stay in touch with us by visiting our Facebook page for photos and news, following us on Twitter @goalshaiti, and dropping us a line at contact@goalshaiti.org!

The GOALS Staff Credo

1. I am passionate about GOALS’ mission to engage youth in football to improve their quality of life and develop their leadership.
    
2. I believe in the “GOALS Principle”: we don’t do handouts, we do exchanges based on merit to create a new, different kind of development that is powered by community engagement, unity, and hard work.
    
3. I am a role model for kids, parents, and community members and I will represent GOALS and be the strongest leader I can be every day.
    
4. I develop myself as a community leader, set goals for myself and my community, and work hard to meet these goals.
    
5. I communicate truthfully and transparently, and I always act with integrity.
    
6. I protect, help and empower girls and boys equally.
    
7. I am always on time, responsible, and professional.
    
8. I am creative and effective, and make the most of whatever resources or materials are available to me.
    
9. If there is a problem, I know even if it is not my fault, it may be my responsibility.
    
10. I go above and beyond to excel at my job and be the best I can be. I will always try to strengthen myself, my community, and GOALS so that we can do better!