From GOALS to the World Cup

Original Article featured on Play Academy with Naomi Osaka

Bethina Petit-Frere remembers sneaking out of her house to play soccer with her brother and his friends. At the time, it was uncommon for girls in Haiti to play soccer. So she had to make sure her grandmother did not find out.

“She thought it was a game just for the boys, but most importantly she did not want me to get hurt,” Petit-Frere recalled. “We would play around the corner from my house, and if we heard my grandmother coming, I would hide so she didn’t see me playing.”

Now 19 years old, there’s no hiding for Petite-Frere. In July, her home country will be tuned in when she plays alongside the rest of the Haitian women’s national soccer team in their first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The team lit up with emotion after defeating Chile in February’s FIFA inter-confederation Playoff to qualify. For Petit-Frere, she reflected on her journey to that moment, from hiding from her grandmother to joining a local soccer program called GOALS Haiti, where for the first time, she got to play with other girls.

MORE THAN SOCCER

GOALS Haiti is not a soccer club. Rather, soccer is the means to their bigger goal of developing youth to become leaders in their communities. They run youth soccer, education and community service programs in three rural villages around Leogane, where Petit-Frere grew up.

“My dad left my mom when she was pregnant,” she reflected. “When I was 1, my mom moved to another island in search of work. So I was raised by my grandmother. She sent me to school, and she did everything for me.”

Her older brother was part of GOALS and told her they had a girls’ team, which was a surprise for Petit-Frere. Nine-years-old at the time, she went with her brother and was warmly welcomed by the GOALS staff. She no longer had to play in secret with boys, and her grandmother felt comfortable knowing she was with trusted coaches from the local community.

“I borrowed shorts and a shirt from my brother, and when I went to the field, GOALS gave me a pair of cleats so I could participate,” Petit-Frere said. “I saw that there was a good atmosphere.”

“We were a group, and the GOALS team became my family. It showed me what being a part of a collective and family meant. To this day, I still stay in contact with my GOALS Haiti team.”

Petit-Frere’s talent was discovered by the Haitian Football Federation after one year with GOALS, and she moved to their training base called the “Ranch” to join the youth league. Though exciting, the sudden change was a lot for her.

“The first month at the Ranch, I was really sad because I missed my grandmother and it was hard to adjust,” she said. “I told myself I chose football and that it is my dream. Even if I miss my family, I had to continue. I always told myself that if I worked hard, my dreams to become a professional player would come true.”

STILL PART OF THE FAMILY

GOALS takes pride that many girls from their program like Petit-Frere get discovered by the Haitian Football Federation. But they also understand their challenges transitioning to The Ranch.

“I would visit the Ranch to check in on the girls, see how they’re doing and if they needed anything,” GOALS Executive Director Kathy McAllister said. “Once a kid leaves our program and goes to the Federation, we don’t want them to feel abandoned or that we’re no longer a resource for them.

“It’s important that they have an advocate and know that once they leave the GOALS program, whether that’s when they join the Federation or age out at 18, that they still feel they can come to us. We want them to know that they have a network through GOALS, they have their former coach, our office staff, myself that can be a resource.”

That was widely felt by Petit-Frere. Though only a year’s time with GOALS, she benefited from the education and community service programs that aims to equip participants with life skills for life-changing moments like hers.

“During my time with GOALS, I learned more than soccer because I went to their study sessions on English and life skills,” she said. “Even when I was at the Ranch, GOALS coaches would visit me and bring me materials to continue learning.”

Haiti’s historic World Cup appearance this summer is a bright spot amid the ongoing crises the country has been facing. The country is still dealing with the long-term after-effects of the 2010 earthquake, the president’s assassination in 2021 and increased gang warfare which has taken over the capitol.

“For the younger girls in our program, seeing girls like Bethina, other girls in the league or GOALS alumni – all of them are role models,” McAllister said. “The younger participants can say, ‘If she can do it, I can do it to, too.’ It really gives them hope.”

Petit-Frere hopes participating in the World Cup gives her more exposure to professional clubs. She also doesn’t take it for granted and what it means for others back home watching.

“There are a lot of players who have a lot of talent that do not get this chance, and I am getting that chance. It is a huge opportunity,” she said. “For other young girls watching me play, the message I would tell them is to focus on what you want and believe in your dreams. Do not listen to people who want to discourage you. Always believe in yourself and work hard for what you want.”

Planting for the Next Generation

Since GOALS inception in 2020 protecting the environment and raising awareness on how communities can be involved in being stewards of the environment has been an integral part of our work. It was built into the daily soccer programming that each of our 12 teams takes turns in weekly activities around community gardening, tree planting and recycling.

The activities teach about team work, community service and the importance of living in harmony with our natural world. Kids learn about soil and seed cultivation, planting and caring for crops, tree seedling care and issues around climate action.

Haiti’s rural communities create less waste and carbon footprint however are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and natural disasters. Educating youth and engaging their families on how to mitigate the effects of climate action and prepare for future natural disasters empowers them to take steps to protect their families and livelihoods.

This Earth Day our tams celebrated by planting trees and doing beach clean-up. GOALS kids have planted 6K trees providing much needed shade, soil protection and food source.

“The biggest lesson I've learned in GOALS is how to protect the environment, plant trees, and farm land. Planting trees and working in the community garden brings joy to my life. I enjoy the time with the rest of the kids and working together teaches us how to live in harmony.” – Peter, program participant

 Happy Earth Day! Earth Day Every Day!

In our Hearts

Although the situation in Haiti has been deteriorating for years, the level of current crises the country is facing is unprecedented. It is a complicated  web of perfect storms that is both difficult to grasp yet glaringly clear. Haiti fought for its independence and has been ostracized and penalized ever since.

The images I receive every day from our programs in the field where kids are playing, learning, laughing, and having fun with their friends are in stark contrast to the images from the explosive gang warfare that is happening in the capital and other parts of the country.

There is not one Haitian or person affiliated with Haiti who has not been touched by these crises. In the past week alone a relative of a staff member was kidnapped, a colleague was witness to a mass shooting, a friends husband who was a school superintendent took his own life, and my sister-in-law was forced to evacuate her home due to gangs taking over their whole neighborhood.

There is grief, fear, sadness and outrage over the complete lack of accountability to the systems that created this vacuum of leadership and impunity for criminal activity. There is a bracing for even harder times ahead as there is no easy way out and no end in sight.

Throughout the 20 years that I have been working and/or living in Haiti I chose to focus on the positive because I am fortunate to witness the real grassroots community efforts by so many wanting to make a difference.

I hear the fatigue in the voices of Haitians who were always optimistic and that is also heart breaking. The cries of when will there be real change, how can families live in these conditions?

What I hold on to is the hope of a brighter day, the commitment to do our part and the knowledge that we are a part of an outlet for hundreds of kids who otherwise would not have that outlet.

Haitians deserve better. One of our international partners recently told me “our hearts are there” and we will continue to hold Haiti in our hearts. And we ask, what will it take to end this cycle of suffering?

2022 Annual Report

What a year we had! And we ended the year on a high note, celebrating with the kids and communities where we have our programs. There was a feeling of extreme pride, knowing we had succeeded in providing our daily programming in the face of extreme challenges and ongoing crises in Haiti.

While schools were closed, GOALS provided the only safe outlet for hundreds of kids to learn, play and be kids. In Haiti the importance of this cannot be stated enough.

We routinely hear from the kids and their parents that having a place to earn an education as well as develop invaluable skills leads to healthier children. We aim to improve their physical and mental wellbeing while fostering their leadership and social skills. This adds to a more engaged community who have a greater chance at reaching their potential.

Our staff morale is high as we are all inspired and committed to making a difference. We each know what our programs mean to the kids, and we are happy to share what we have accomplished in this year's report.

There is a Haitian proverb Espwa Fe Viv which means Hope Gives Life. This is what we hold on to as we strive for better days in Haiti. Thank you for being a part of our efforts as we advance youth leadership through soccer and education to create stronger, healthier communities in rural Haiti.

Kathy McAllister, Executive Director

Haiti Means so Much

Haiti means so much to me. Since that first trip my husband Peter and I took there almost thirty years ago to work in a rural area, the place just got to me and called me back year after year. 

Unfortunately, the visits and my work there has stopped. A year prior to the pandemic, security concerns prevented me from traveling there. Even though COVID shut everything down, Haiti continued to go downhill with gangs controlling the country, an unstable government and out of control corruption. There is currently some good news coming out of Haiti.

For the past 5 years I’ve been the Board President of GOALS and recently I stepped  down to pass the baton to another board member. 

But please indulge me while I tell you more about GOALS and why I have been involved all these years.

12 years ago, Kona Shen, a dynamic and fearless newly minted graduate of Brown University, founded GOALS. After a short stint there she quickly discovered how passionate all the kids were about soccer in spite of a lack of basic needs to play the game: playing fields, equipment, soccer balls and any footwear. As an International Development major, Kona decided that a sports development program was what she wanted to start in rural Haiti.

Upon graduation Kona returned to Haiti to launch GOALS Haiti. Using soccer as the hook or carrot to engage kids in community service, literacy, civics, health education and leadership development, over 400 kids in 3 neighborhoods joined the program. 

Fifteen years ago, I started studying Haitian Kreyol at Brown University.  I had been working short stints in Haiti since 1995, mainly at the Hospital Albert Schweitzer. Although I speak French fluently, on that first work trip I quickly realized that speaking Kreyol was imperative. 

Our Kreyol classes at Brown were lively, stimulating and tons of fun. We had an awesome professor named Patrik who taught us about Haitian culture, history, and politics as well as the language that all Haitians speak. The students in my class were quite wonderful as well: super bright, engaged in their learning, and intellectually curious. That class was the setting where I met Kona Shen.

Kona and I stayed in touch that first year of GOALS. I even managed to visit her on one of my trips to Haiti and was excited to see what she was doing. At some point Kona emailed me asking for assistance. She was concerned that some of the teenage girls in the program had gotten pregnant. She was particularly concerned that the kids in the program were in dire need of sexuality education, that many of the kids believed a variety of myths about how one gets pregnant or avoids it. We decided that the best approach was to offer on-site trainings on human sexuality to her staff, her coaches and the older kids enrolled in GOALS.

And so began my love affair with GOALS—in the early days— at those first visits to offer training programs. I was hooked with everything I saw there and vowed to return. 

I joined the GOALS Board several years later and spent five years as Board Chair where I was affectionately called Madanm Pwezidan. I’ve recently stepped aside to hand over the reins to Board member Shanna Snider who will do a phenomenal job leading and keeping us in line!

I continue to feel enormous pride in all the GOALS does and accomplishes given the enormous obstacles and daily challenges. It’s truly remarkable. 

Plus I am so thankful to put my heart and energy into a truly phenomenal organization. I’m fervently wishing for calm in Haiti and a return to some semblance of stability. On a very personal level, I long to return to the place that has given me so much. I’m continually in awe of the Haitians I know and love; they are full of resilience and hope, I miss them as well as the verdant and stunning countryside. - Toby Simon

Dream Team Scholarships

As part of our commitment to increasing access to education for kids in rural Haiti we have provided over 300 school scholarships through our Dream Team program. This program provides annual scholarships that cover tuition, uniforms and books ensuring that more kids have access to an education.

Recently 2 of our coaches came to us about a girl on our U18 team that they had been helping to pay for her school. Our coaches often take it upon themselves to help kids in their community.

Due to the crises and extreme inflation facing Haiti the coaches were unable to continue subsidizing her education.

Francesca has been in the GOALS program since 2016 and Graduated our Youth Leadership program in 2021. Her natural leadership ability and commitment led to her being chosen as an assistant coach for one of our fields last year. She was a great addition to our scholarship program and recently sat down with our Program Director to share her thoughts.

“It's a great stress-relieving feeling that I am now a part of the Dream Team program. The difficulties I had before being awarded the scholarship was my parents were struggling to pay for my schooling due to all the crises that have been recently happening in Haiti.

This scholarship will give my parents the opportunity to not have to worry and be stressed out about my schooling. They will have more time to focus and get their things in order.

Education is very important to me. It's the key to a better life. If you are not educated it will be more difficult to succeed in life. GOALS can expect from me that I will be a great student. Expect me to be an overall good person, and a positive role model for the people in my community.

Education is good and needed for young girls where I live. Girls in my community are always faced with so many different types of problems. Being an educated young girl will give us the knowledge to make the right decisions in life so we don't have to suffer more.”

Francesca is one of 26 Dream Team scholarship recipients for the 2023 school year.

GOALS wins Environmental Award

Good news! We won the Energy Globe Award for our work with youth on community gardening, tree planting and recycling. These are all part of our Clean Field initiative empowering youth to be a part of the solution in Haiti.

With more than 180 participating countries, the ENERGY GLOBE Award is today’s most prestigious environmental award. It is awarded annually to projects saving our environment by personal action, sustainable projects or campaigns for raising awareness in sustainability.

To learn more check out their website.

Since GOALS inception the environment has been one our focus. It is exciting to be recognized for that work. We will continue to remain committed to working with youth to be leaders of change for protection of the environment and solutions on climate action.

Reach for the Stars

We are so thankful that despite the incredible challenges facing Haiti, we have been able to provide daily programs for the kids in Destra, Bossan and Carrefour Croix. There are many reasons kids look forward to going to our fields and classrooms including seeing their friends, learning something new, being a part of something, reducing stress and getting a daily meal.

 
Program participants share what the programs mean to them, and it is life changing for them.

 

“When I first joined GOALS, it was my first time ever playing sports and soccer. I was very shy. The biggest lesson I learned in GOALS is how to respect others. I would like to tell everyone in GOALS and their supporters thank you for everything. You all helped me to grow up to believe in myself and reach for the stars.”- Jenny

 

“To score the highest grade in my class. It's a great feeling and I hope I can do it many times again. School is important to me because tomorrow I want to be a great leader.” - Fritz


We are committed to providing a safe space for kids to learn, play and grow. We need your help to ensure our programs keep running daily to provide that healthy outlet. Our programs improve their daily existence plus work on long term sustainable change including leadership, gender equality and conflict resolution.

 
By making a gift you are providing kids with an opportunity to reach their potential. We currently need to raise 10K by the end of the year. Through a generous donor each gift dollar to dollar between now and December 30th will be matched making your gift go even farther. Gifts may be made online plus other ways to donate.

From all of us at Team GOALS thank you for being a part of our success. We appreciate your continued support!

 Kathy McAllister
Executive Director GOALS Haiti

Team Player and Humanitarian

Shaun Brun is a team member of the Sounders FC U-15 Academy and recently won their Humanitarian of the Year award for his volunteer work with GOALS Haiti earlier this year. As part of a school project and community engagement volunteering Shaun chose GOALS Haiti. He is half Haitian and he wanted to find a way to give back to his community. He trained 1st to 6th grade kids with 1-on-1 coaching teaching them the basics of soccer. Through his work, Shaun donated his earnings and raised much needed funds for GOALS Haiti, giving other kids the same opportunities that he had when he was younger.

Our Executive Director was at the award presentation at Lumen field which was a very proud moment. She sat down with Shaun to ask him about his journey with soccer and giving back. Here is what Shaun had to say:

“I started playing soccer at age 4 through the YMCA. Soccer has taught me so much. Soccer is a team sport so it has taught me to be a team player. You have to be ready to help your team mates. It also taught me about leadership. I never thought of myself as a leader but becoming team captain gave me a chance and I was excited about that.

In 7th grade I got introduced to GOALS Haiti by my dad. He showed me the website because he knew the Director. I was intrigued because I always wanted to do something for Haiti and to use soccer was a bonus.

To be able to do that for my 8th grade project was great. It was my first time to organize and to help train/coach sessions to help with my community. I designed the drills to teach other kids at my school.

Here in Seattle I’ve always had the opportunity to play the game. So it is cool to be able to help other kids play the game and chase their dreams. I see everything on the news and know that there is a side of Haiti that people do not get to see. There are positive and good things happening there and I am glad to be a part of it.”

Congratulations Shaun on winning Humanitarian of the Year and thank you for all of your hard work to help kids in Haiti!

Growing Up in GOALS

Every September we start the new roster for the GOALS teams. This means that new kids join the program and replace kids that have moved out of the areas or have graduated the program. This year we had 15 participants that have graduated the program.

To mark the occasion and celebrate all of their accomplishments we held a pizza party in their honor and our staff plus coaches were there to give them some words of encouragement as they go forward.

Some of the kids had been with us since the inception of our programs and it is incredible to be a part of their growth. We wish them all continued success, good health and look forward to their contributions to their communities.

It was a day full of emotion as everyone shared about their time in GOALS and here are some of their thoughts:

Jenny – Joined GOALS in 2014 (8yrs in programs) - “When I first joined GOALS, it was my first time ever playing sports and soccer. I was very shy. The biggest lesson I learned in GOALS is how to respect others. You all helped me grow up to believe in myself and reach for the stars.”

Edna – Joined GOALS in 2010 (12 yrs in programs) - “When I first joined GOALS, I was very small and afraid of people. It was a very shy moment for me. What I think is the most important thing I learned from GOALS is leadership. Now, I am a leader and I'm confident that I can lead any group no matter if it's kids or adults.”

Caputo – Joined GOALS in 2012 (10 yrs in programs) - “When I first joined GOALS, I can remember being very timid. It was hard for me to adapt to my team. I had no technique at all in soccer. It was a challenging experience for me. The most important thing I learned from GOALS is everyone deserves respect and that helping others less fortunate is necessary for the country to develop. Graduating from GOALS will be a sad feeling. But the change will be a good change because GOALS taught me so much about how to achieve success.”

Laissa – Joined GOALS in 2014 (8yrs in programs) - “When I first joined GOALS, I remember being very shy and skinny I didn't know anything about GOALS. I would have regretted it so much if I did not have the courage to join GOALS. I learned so much over the years in GOALS. The most important stuff I believe GOALS taught me was the importance of agriculture and how it is so rich and has the potential to make a great impact on Haiti. The biggest lesson I've learned in GOALS is how to have a high level of discipline and respect for others.”

Venise - Joined GOALS in 2014 (8yrs in programs) - “Joining GOALS for the first time was a very shy moment in my life. I didn't know anything about soccer. I just wanted an opportunity to go out and play and have fun with other kids. The most important stuff that GOALS taught me is how to respect others and develop skills to help people that are in need in my community. The biggest lesson I learned in GOALS is how I'm equal to boys. Therefore, I must always be confident in myself. I would like to tell the people and supporters of GOALS big thanks and I will never forget the change you caused in my life.”

Toles – Joined GOALS in 2017 (5 yrs in programs) - “When I first joined GOALS I thought it was a soccer school and everything was just only about soccer. It's after joining I realize it was more than just playing soccer. We learned about many other things like agriculture and recycling. I felt like this was something special and soccer was the tool that brought us in to discover what GOALS really stands for. Thank you for believing in us and wanting to make a difference in our lives.”

Souna – Joined GOALS in 2014 (8 yrs in programs)- “I was very timid, I did not know anything about soccer when I first joined GOALS. I just felt like my family kept me inside my house too much, and I just wanted the opportunity to go outside and play like a regular kid with other kids. GOALS gave me that opportunity.”

Wilky – Joined GOALS in 2015 (7 yrs in programs) - “When I first joined GOALS, I remember feeling uncomfortable because everyone was bigger than me so I was very scared to play. But the coaches helped me to feel comfortable and to learn. The biggest lesson I've learned in GOALS is how to live in harmony with one another.”

Peter – Joined GOALS in 2017 (5 yrs in the program) - “When I first joined GOALS I was a little confused I did not know if it was a soccer school or something else. After a little while, I understood GOALS was bigger than just soccer and I was excited because I felt it was something big and special. The most important thing that GOALS taught me was leadership. I was fortunate to learn what real leadership is. The biggest lesson I've learned in GOALS is how to protect the environment, plant trees, and farm land. After all these years in GOALS, I want to tell GOALS thank you because you all did a lot to help me in life and I will never forget it.”

Education is the Way

We received the good news that two of our Dream Team scholarship recipients have the highest grades in their schools. Such a great accomplishment and we are proud of all of their effort. We asked them what that means to them and here is what they had to say.

Oussannaelle joined our programs in 2019 and is a Dream Team scholarship recipient and part of our Young Leaders program. She now has the highest grades in her high school. “To have the highest GPA in my class means a lot to me because I made lots of sacrifices, and now I know it was not in vain. I go to sleep late due to studying and I wake up early to study again. I've been through a lot and I did it all just to get this high grade. I'm satisfied now to know my sacrifices turn into success.

I like school and I like when they give me homework. I enjoy studying at home and my favorite subjects are Biology and Chemistry. School is important to me because it will shape me to be the person I want to be in life. It's important to me because I know I will be respected and people won't underestimate me. Most importantly I will be very proud of myself.”

The other student to reach the top of her class is Joanna who also joined our programs in 2019. At 10 years old she already had made education a priority saying “School is important to me because it is where I learn how to read and write. Education is the way for me. Having the highest GPA in my class makes me very happy because I've worked really hard to get that high grade.”

Our programs provide daily activities in soccer that teaches life skills plus support for kids to gain an education which is the way forward to following their dreams.

We are all Affected

It is mid-year and we always take time to look at our progress so far, what has worked will and what can be improved. As we look at both quantitative statistics and qualitative material, we can see the impact of our work.

97% of program participants cited reduced stress from being in our program. At a moment when the country is facing extreme insecurity having a safe place for children to learn and play is of paramount importance.

When I am asked how our programs are going, I respond positively in that we are functioning daily, and we have been able to continue working while many other organizations in Haiti have had to halt operations.

But if we dig digger, the gang warfare that is terrorizing the capitol of Haiti has far reaching effects, and we are all affected.

Of the 56 students in our literacy program, we had 4 students drop out of the program. When we checked as to why that was, we learned that each of the families had moved out of the area. Although this community is roughly 90 minutes from the capitol the insecurity has made it nearly impossible for the fisherman and farmers in the community to sell their goods and make a living for their families.

This is acutely felt by the children.

Here is one of our kids sharing their story-

“I have 3 sisters; 2 brothers and I live with my father. I live in a family which does not have enough economic resources. The biggest issues I face is my family does not have necessary funds to help my basic needs. My father is sick, and he cannot work right now. That has a huge impact in my life because there are so many sacrifices we have to make.

For examples my siblings and I used to have money to pay for transportation for school. Now, we must walk to school and back and it takes us 3-4 hours of walking time every day we go to school.

The GOALS program does a lot of things in my life. It helps me to grow up and helps me to progress. Most importantly it helps me to know myself and my true capabilities.

While I’m in the GOALS program I can say the issues in my life improve. When I come to the program I can find a meal every day, that allows my brother and sister to have more food because I eat in the program. When I come to the program, I play a lot and then I feel less stress about things in my life in general.”

We will continue to show up daily and strive to make a difference as we work in partnership with our communities to increase the health and stability for families in rural Haiti.

Proud of Myself

Mariline joined the GOALS program at age 6. Now at age 18 she has gone on to play soccer with the Haitian National League. We spoke with Marline about her journey.

“I currently play for the Leogane Exafoot soccer club in Haiti, and I play for Haiti's National team. The GOALS coaches: Jerson, Elbrane, and Nadege all helped me so that I was able to play soccer on a professional level.

As a current professional soccer player, GOALS has contributed a lot to where I am at today in my professional career. For example, it was GOALS that taught me how to play soccer. Before joining GOALS, I did not know how to play soccer and because I was a girl, I was not allowed to play sports. GOALS changed that.

Being a young woman playing soccer for my country and traveling all over the world means a lot to me. I feel proud of myself that GOALS has put me in a position to be able to represent my country with pride and dignity.

What I learned in the programs of GOALS as a child has helped me a lot in life. For example, GOALS taught me sex education and what I learned in those sessions is the reason why I am not prematurely pregnant.

My advice to young girls that are playing soccer, is to not give up on school and soccer. You have to fight and keep fighting in order to be successful. There are so many kids, especially young girls that don't have the opportunity to play and learn soccer.

The first time my family saw me play soccer they were not happy, and they said young girls are not supposed to play soccer. It was extremely difficult for me to play soccer because my family did not like the idea of me playing any sports. It is when I started to get older, and my soccer skills were developing more that they started to change their mind. Still, it was a difficult and challenging process but with perseverance, I succeeded.

My success was unbelievable to my family. They never thought that my soccer skills could've taken me to a level where I would be playing soccer all over the world. They are so proud of me now.

Everyone in my community enjoys seeing me. Seeing a young woman playing professional soccer from my community, it makes a lot of people proud. I know for sure that I inspire more young girls to want to follow in my footsteps.

I believe one of the biggest obstacles that keeps young girls from playing soccer is a lack of self-confidence in themselves. GOALS has made it more acceptable for young girls to play soccer. We now have lots of young girls that are talented in playing soccer in my community.

There are still lots of people in my community that think young girls should not play soccer, but I feel that number is decreasing because of the examples that others and I have proved. We are showing we can play soccer on an international level. This is also why I feel GOALS is still very important and necessary for my community and others so people can believe more that girls are capable of playing soccer just like boys are.”

 

Protecting Youth through Soccer

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.

A Perfect Match

Soccer and education--it really is a perfect match

 Soccer is the most popular sport in Haiti and all youth love to play it. Through their love of the game they join our programs and gain access to education, community gardening, health, and leadership training. Soccer is the way in. Fun on the field leads to better lives off of it.

My favorite part of the day is to see young people coming from all directions with excitement in their step to join their teammates and coaches every afternoon. Older kids help the younger kids as they show up daily for practice and also to share a meal, which for many is the one meal of the day they can count on.

GOALS provides young people the opportunity to get an education and to learn skills to live healthier lives. After-school programs are rare in Haiti and youth are eager to participate. Being part of something bigger and giving back to their communities gives them a sense of pride.

“Because of GOALS I was able to play the game I love, and I was able to see female role models in my coaches who inspired me to want to give back. I learned how to make healthy choices and now I am a coach. It is a great feeling to be working with the kids and helping them to learn." – Merline, alumni and GOALS Coach

We need to raise $18,000 in team sponsorship support for one of our 12 teams to provide daily programming for 25 girls this year. Through a generous offer from a major supporter every dollar contributed between May 2 and June 3 will be matched dollar for dollar up to $10,000.

Help us reach our target and you can stretch your gift further by taking advantage of this match opportunity. Gifts may be made online by check or by Zelle to 206-850-5617. Together we are providing a safe space for kids to play, learn and grow.

Thank you for being a part of the team!

Sincerely,
Kathy McAllister
Executive Director
GOALS Haiti