September: Heartbreak and Hope

Like so many American girls, I wanted to be a ballerina when I grew up. Whether it was due to the pink tu-tus or the glamorous make-up, this was my ambition for years. Growing up in poverty in Haiti, our GOALS teams haven’t had the luxury of such frivolous dreams (sorry if I just insulted any professional dancers out there!), but they do have serious ambitions. Most want a way to better themselves and their families and so, even at a young age, their dreams are more practical than mine were as a child. In this photo (at right), the Dream Team has each written their ambitions for the future. They read: I want to be a lawyer. I want to be an accountant, a journalist, a doctor, an engineer.

But these kids know they won’t get there without completing school first.

Over the past couple weeks, GOALS staff and a community representative have been sifting through the applications we received for scholarship spots on this year’s Dream Team. I’ve been tweeting a few quotes from the personal letters that were particularly striking, but I’d like to share a few letters in a bit more detail here.

Widlene (not her real name) lives far from the Chatulet soccer field, so sometimes she’s not able to make the trip. She’s got a shaved head, which makes her look tough, but, since she’s small for her age, not too tough. She’s the kind of young teenager that’s just barely bold enough to practice English with me, while enough of a joker to use it to try asking me funny questions.

Widlene’s mother died when she was a baby, leaving her dad to take care of her on his own.  In her letter, she detailed the struggles she’s had, but always with a positive note:

"When things were better, my dad sent me to the best school. He wanted me to become the greatest person in our family, since I had already suffered so much. I ask God to always keep me hopeful. My favorite things are school and soccer, but you can’t have soccer without school...I don’t always find food, and my family isn’t together. I’m not a bad student. I always work hard in school. I usually sell charcoal on credit, but the money is only enough to buy what we need. I’m still selling charcoal because I want to go to school. I think about how I need to finish school so that I can study medicine."

Widlene’s coach says, “She always shows leadership, and does everything positively. She’d like to help her country by becoming either an international soccer star or a great nurse.”

Peterson, one of our team captains, signed his letter in English:  “I love you GOALS for life”. Twice a week, if I show up to the field early enough, I’ll see Peterson holding a large trash bag and leading the rest of the kids in laps around the soccer field to pick up trash. He wrote:

"I don’t have a father; he died when I was 9. My mom worked hard to send me to school, but now she can’t work anymore. I want to go to school, because in Haiti, if you haven’t finished school, you’re treated very poorly. GOALS has done a lot for me. I can speak English, thanks to GOALS , so I thank GOALS for what you’re doing for Haiti."

It’s been a couple weeks of heartbreak and hope. Heartbreak as we read the personal stories of struggle to attend school, of lives turned upside down by disaster, poverty, and loss, and at the same time, a time of hope, as we know that the scholarship recipients we are able to help are not only renewed with their own hope, but will also have the opportunity at a better life.

Scholarships are awarded based on academic merit, commitment to local development, and financial need. Volunteer Jovan Julien has led the effort to shape, document, and fundraise for the program, while support from the Child Survival Fund allowed us to expand the program this year.

GOALS has high expectations of scholarship recipients. They’re expected to participate in each GOALS activity, including soccer, education and service programs and adhere to high standards of conduct and leadership. One of the unexpected benefits of the scholarship program, the parents tell us, is that the recipients inspire other students to work hard in school, so that they might be able to get a scholarship next year too. We’re proud of the achievements of last year’s Dream Team, and we look forward to reporting back with more news about this year’s amazing group of young people.

Sincerely,
Jolinda

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

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Cleaning up after Isaac

As Hurricane Isaac drifted north of Haiti and the winds and rains died down over the weekend, each of our soccer teams reported that the damage in their area was minimal. However, Monday morning, when the majority of kids didn't show to the (albeit flooded and muddy) soccer field in Bausan as usual, we knew something was up. While the damage could have been much worse, the rising flood waters swept about a foot of thick, heavy mud through several of our Bausan players'  homes, and those of their neighbors. Instead of coming to play soccer, they spent Monday trying to clean up the mess. With the ever-present threat of cholera, standing mud and water can be deadly.

Several of our kids lost their practice clothes and cleats along with their families' household possessions. While GOALS is still assessing how we can help replace lost or damaged goods, our kids have already joined together to help shovel the mud out of their homes and help their neighbors. Rather than respond with a distribution of tools and bleach kits, as a traditional aid group might do, GOALS decided to empower our youth to help their community on their own.

On Tuesday, Emilio, myself and the Bausan coaches and kids followed as Rose, one of our girls, led the way to a remote area near her house that was particularly affected. Armed with shovels, a wheelbarrow, brooms, buckets and lots of bleach, we trekked through the mud, alongside sugarcane fields and, eventually, out to the beach. It was quite a sight to see our rag-tag group of teenagers marching en masse through the rural villages, brooms and buckets in tow.

Finally, we arrived at Rose's house, where several of her neighbors asked us for help. We shoveled mud out of kitchens, homes and businesses, scrubbed them clean and poured bleach water across concrete floors.

In this area, "Anba Bausan" or "Inner Bausan", those who live in concrete homes or wood shelters escaped most of the damage, since having a concrete foundation raises the homes up off the ground. So most of the "homes" that needed help were little more than layers of tarps held up with a stick frame and topped with a tin roof.

There's an old Haitian proverb men anpil chay pa lou which means "Many hands lighten the burden". Removing a thick layer of mud is a burdensome task for just one person, but it's no match for a group of shovel-wielding teenage soccer players! One friendly neighbor hacked open fresh coconuts for our sweaty teams as a thank you. Lucky us!

As the sun got hotter, we trekked back to the Bausan soccer field. Along the way, just about everyone stopped to rinse the mud off their shoes by the beach.

Back at the field, the kids were rewarded (after the hand sanitizer was passed around, of course!) for their work with plenty of ice-cold water and a spaghetti lunch.

Community service is a core part the GOALS model. By providing a few tools and cultivating local leadership to drive forward projects, GOALS empowers communities to address their own needs. The best part of all? Working together on days like this is FUN!

For more reports and pictures from the field, visit us on Facebook and Twitter and please support our Indiegogo campaign.

Post-hurricane update: We're ok

Update: One of our Destra players lost her home to Isaac, but fortunately, her family had prepared by packing up their things, so they were able to save what small material possessions (cookware, toiletries, clothes) they had. Several other homes in the community of Destra were also destroyed. In Bausan, while no homes were destroyed, rising floodwater and mud swept away or ruined the belongings of several of our players. We'll follow up with more information soon. Hurricane Isaac has directly affected the communities in which we work here in Leogane, Haiti, but thankfully our teams, staff and their families and homes didn't experience too much damage.

In the days leading up to Isaac's arrival, our Regional Coordinator Emilio personally visited each of our sites to speak with our kids about keeping themselves safe. Flash floods, falling trees and even falling structures are serious dangers when a storm system visits Haiti. Rising flood waters and storm surges can wipe out entire villages. At the moment, we're all a little soggy from leaky roofs and flooded and debris-strewn streets, but that's about it.

As the flood waters are slowly starting to recede, the aftermath continues: standing water means an increased threat of both mosquito-borne illness and exposure to cholera, and ruined crops will threaten food security for months to come.

Destra Girls Team

For now, we're grateful that all of our teams are doing ok, and our kids are planning on playing soccer first thing Monday morning as usual, at least on the fields that aren't still under water!

For more reports and pictures from the field, visit us on Facebook and Twitter and please support our Indiegogo campaign.

GOALS Awarded Beyond Sport's Best New Project Award in London

Our scholarship students and soccer players at Destra

GOALS is honored to announce that it has received the Best New Project Award at the Beyond Sport Summit in London, England! GOALS was recognized for its success in mobilizing communities to improve lives in the areas of  health, environment, public sanitation and youth leadership.

Beyond Sport is a global organization that promotes, develops and supports the use of sport to create positive social change around the world. The Beyond Sport Award will provide a package of funding and business support to our programs in Haiti, allowing us to improve our impact and reach more children.

The award was presented to GOALS Haiti Program Officer Jolinda Hackett by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Click here to watch a short interview with Jolinda on what this award means to us, and the great impact it will have on GOALS' programs!

Need to catch up on our recent GOALS news?
View our 2012 Annual Report

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Don't forget
GOALS needs your support to provide our players in Haiti with much-needed materials, clean water, and food. To help us reach our goal of $4,000 please donate to our Indiegogo campaign. Every little bit helps!

GOALS' 2012 Annual Report Now Available

GOALS' 2012 Annual Report is now available, and it is better than ever! Thanks to volunteer Emily Van Tassel, this year's report brings you news of our work in Haiti like never before. 

View the 2012 Annual Report.

Letter from the Executive Director

Dear Friends,
There is a lot to love about the game of soccer. Children feeling pure joy when they kick the ball. Teenagers embracing the camaraderie and discipline of daily practice. Communities coming out in full to watch youth matches, which are followed as passionately as is the World Cup.

Most of all, I love that on the field, nothing matters more than determination, teamwork, and heart. The constant obstacles that youth in Haiti face due to poverty are silenced, however briefly, on the soccer field. For a time, they are able to enjoy being kids.

As Haiti continues to recover from the 2010 earthquake, these moments matter. Children see that they can succeed on the field if they put in time and effort. GOALS takes these same principles and applies them to education, community service, and leadership. Over time, we believe that this work will help shape a new generation of young leaders in Haiti. 

As Haiti marked its second anniversary of the 2010 earthquake and more organizations end their operations here, GOALS offers some of the only free, daily programs for youth available throughout the country. Even more unique, these programs are led by local leaders who are also focused on long-term, sustainable development in their communities.

Currently, over 600 children participate in our soccer, service, and education programs each month. We are wrapping up our second year of the Dream Team, which granted 23 scholarships to exceptional high school students. We hosted the second annual Vin Jwe! Tournament in Cité Soleil, which brought 12 teams together from around Haiti for a two-day competition.

Internally, our capacity to improve programs and monitor effectiveness has grown. We are exceedingly grateful that the number of supporters has tripled. Our players in Haiti have benefited from increased donations, equipment drives, and raised awareness about GOALS’ work.

Throughout a busy year, we have remained true to our values. We seek to work most closely with teenagers, who are old enough to rise to the rigorous expectations of our programs and take on responsibility. We work primarily in rural areas, where few or no other services of any kind are available, thus using our resources as effectively as possible. Through our outreach, we are able to bring entire communities out not only for soccer, but for public service as well. These are the core building blocks that set GOALS apart, and they keep getting stronger.

The incredible contributions from donors, volunteers, staff members, partners, and the Board of Directors have led to remarkable successes in two years. Your support, and the demand for GOALS throughout Haiti, show that we are on to something special. Thank you for your part in making this possible. As we look ahead, we will continue to work hard to improve our work, increase access to our programs, and spark long-term change in Haiti’s communities by starting from the ground up.

Kona Shen
Founder & Director

A different approach to rebuilding Haiti and a different way to support GOALS

GOALS superstar volunteer Jared has teamed up with social fundraising site Indiegogo to support our soccer, service and education programs in Haiti. When you support GOALS through Indiegogo, you're rewarded with various "perks". Fancy a GOALS t-shirt? Donate $50 and pick a color! Want a personalized letter from one of our soccer players in Haiti or perhaps a gift box with some goodies from Haiti? Browse on over to Indiegogo to check out the campaign!

Of course, even if you don't have cash to spare, you can always help support our programs by collecting gently used soccer equipment (balls, uniforms, cleats, nets) that can be re-used by kids in Haiti. Or, you can check out our online wishlist for some things we've been dreaming of...

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

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