Original Article by Thomas Hirst published in The Periphery

Amidst a wave of gang violence that threatens Haiti’s future, one organization are using football to help the country’s youth thrive during uncertain times.

 

The devastation was unlike anything Kona Shen had ever seen. Buildings, homes, hospitals, schools, and churches, were all reduced to rubble. The places which three years earlier she had explored, made friends, and fell in love with, were now in piles on the street.

Léogane was the place she had taught all those amazing children. These children who had invited her back to their homes in Destra, a rural fishing village on the outskirts, to introduce her to their families. Where were they? Were they okay? What’s going to happen to them?

As the worried thoughts raced through her mind, something stopped Kona in her tracks. Amidst the rubble, two boys had set up some makeshift goals and were kicking an old can around. She said: “I was struck by the fact that children and adults were still playing soccer surrounded by rubble. Despite everything they had lost, people could still find happiness through their love of the game.”

It was this thought that sparked something inside her, and from that spark burned the fire that became GOALS Haiti, an organization of her creation, all based on the idea of using sport as a development tool for the youth.

Now, more than 12 years on from the first GOALS Haiti group set up in Destra, the organization runs 12 teams across three remote rural communities, involving over 300 young people, both boys and girls.

They have even been successful in getting some of these kids into the Haitian National League. Eight of the boys have made the cut, and 28 girls have. A stat, Kathy McAllister, executive director for GOALS Haiti, is quite proud of.

She said: “A founding principle of GOALS was gender equality within the sport and within the program. So, for example, in order for a town to have a boys’ team, there had to be a girls’ team, and at that time, it wasn’t as widely acceptable to have a girls’ team and to allow girls to play.

“But what happened was the boys wanted to play so badly that they got involved in recruiting their sisters, cousins, and neighbours. It became quite popular, and the girls were so thrilled to be able to play.”

This was not an idea that caught on straight away with the parents, however. Haiti, being quite a deprived country, has no electricity or running water. So, for girls, the majority of the day is spent doing household chores.

The community had to be sold the idea of allowing their girls education through sport and convinced it was worthwhile for them.

McAllister says: “We found the families now know that it is a worthwhile investment. Allowing the girls to get an education and play sports is better for their health, it’s better for their mental well-being, and the girls have gone on to actually be quite successful in the Haitian National League.”

The grassroots organisation meets every afternoon, and the day revolves around a special curriculum they have created.

This starts with ‘purposeful play,’ where they get the kids animated. This can be anything from song and dance, to running or clapping. The warmup, led by the coaches, gets everyone engaged and has proved a great way to start.

“Every month we have a theme for that purposeful play. A monthly theme might be on conflict resolution, or it might be on anti-bullying, inclusion, gender equality, health education, sex education, etc.

“We found one of the communities we work in doesn’t have a school. We talked with community members and found that literacy was a huge issue, so, we chose to start that program.

“We keep the focus on football in even that program. We use soccer balls to teach about counting, for example. So, we always try to include the football and the sports aspect, because we know that that’s what kids love, and it keeps them engaged.

“Also, there are different ways kids learn, right, so being more physical with it can help those kids that find it difficult.”

Recently, the organization has also opened up classrooms that act as homework clinics on the side of the pitch. They found kids were being bogged down and due to low literacy rates in these rural communities, their parents were unable to help.

These classrooms also employ former GOALS alumni and coaches, providing them with a much-needed paid job in Haiti’s barren job market.

GOALS coaches, who implement the day to day, are often alumni themselves, with many being there since its conception in 2010.

The leadership skills that are learnt throughout the time on the pitch are encouraged and, through GOALS’ Young Leadership Training, developed. This not only helps the organization be self-sustaining but also provides these communities with real leaders.

One of these leaders is Dyna, she said: “During my time with GOALS I learned discipline and how to respect other people. At the same time, I was learning football I was following how to be a coach. When I was younger my coach was a mentor and a role model for me, and I knew I wanted to do the same.

“I worked to become a leader through practice and training. I see the change through our work when we see the capacity of the kids to play football and learn. They now have the chance of our programs. It used to be that young girls did not have a healthy outlet and now they are involved in making healthy choices.”

Since being with GOALS, Dyna has started her own soccer team, and school football team. She also teaches P.E. in local schools and has a radio program on the local network that teaches about children’s rights and football.

“I am a leader in GOALS Haiti. Whatever community I am in I owe it to be a leader and show kids in the community how to act as a leader. When we talk about leadership it is important to note that there are good leaders and bad leaders. Kids will follow your example. It is not a game. Kids will see if you are showing a negative example. You must take responsibility for what message you are giving to kids.

“A good leader is not always easy because when you are given a role and take responsibility and you do not rise to the occasion it can be detrimental to the kids in your program. A coach is a leader, and you must try to show kids what is behavior that can help them.”

Another one of GOALS’ aims is to not only help those who engage with the program but to be a holistic helping hand for their entire community.

To join in the kids have to commit to some community involvement. For example, this could be cleaning up the field before practice or picking up plastic bottles

They also have community gardens, and a tree nursery, two things Kathy McAllister thinks are vital to helping blossom these communities, she said: “It’s about teaching life lessons on volunteerism and community service.

“For communities that are in deep poverty, having a community garden and showing them, you can grow your own food, you can even collect the seeds, plant it and see it grow. The produce is all then shared back into the community.

“Really what we’re hoping is that it’s a spark. It’s teaching them skills, but it’s also showing their whole family they could have a container garden right in front of their home, or on their roof, and we’re just using all of these to build basically healthier and more stable communities.”

However, given Haiti’s current unstable political climate following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse last year, on top of the devastating gang wars in Port-au-Prince, such potential for community progression is being damaged.

There is still no active president, no functioning government, and no scope for elections given the warring gangs. To add insult to injury, these gangs are policing the only main road in the area.

McAllister says: “The whole island is feeling the tension, that road is not drivable. You either have to take the risk and pay a bribe, or risk getting kidnapped, or even being shot.

“The gang activity is also spilling over in other areas and growing. So, if you think about the youth, and their feeling of hopelessness, or their feeling of what is their future, what is their opportunity. We don’t want more youth leaving the countryside, going to the Capital, finding there’s no work there, and then they’re being recruited into the gangs.

“Teaching them leadership skills, conflict resolution skills, and building up their self-esteem is huge. Having a way, like GOALS, to keep them engaged, to de-escalate conflict, and de-escalate their stress is more important now than ever.”

To support this work join their current campaign.