Happy New Year! A letter from our Founder and Director

New cleats at Destra!

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

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

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

Sportsmanship at Darbonne
Terasonson girls

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

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

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

High five!

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

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

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

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

Thanks for a great year!
Kona Shen
Founder & Director

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

5 Easy Ways to Help GOALS This Holiday Season

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

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

CF Croix Pele Shirts

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

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

Thank you for your support!

A CF Croix player

Zumba for GOALS Haiti raises $3,566

Zumba for GOALS Haiti

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

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

Practice in Haiti

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

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

Finally, thank you to everyone who donated!

Zumba event

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

GOALS Students Score Scholarships

Cassandra Cirus

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

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

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

Destra scholarship recipients

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

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

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

Dream Team presentation

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

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

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

Dream Team donors

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

The Darbonne girls team

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

Other highlights include:

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

New cleats!

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

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

Destra's undefeated goalkeeper (photo: Jovan Julien)

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

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

Enjoying summer camp (photo: Jovan Julien)

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

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

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

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

The GOALS crew at Darbonne

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

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

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

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

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

W4W at Darbonne (Photo: Jack Rose)

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

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

An Indestructible Love of the Game

Summer camp, 2010

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

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

A new Magandu player (Photo: Jovan Julien)

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

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

This ball lasted less than one day!

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

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

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

Scrimmaging in La Coline

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

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

Magandu Girls Team (Photo: Jovan Julien)

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

Taking a break at Destra

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

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

Thank you!

Make Dreams Come True: GOALS' scholarship campaign kicks off

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you!

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


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

- Sendue Ferdinand, on being a Dream Team leader

500 happy, healthy players... and counting!

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

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

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

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

GOALS' newest team, sponsored by The Delaney Bay Fund

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

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

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

GOALS' newest girls' team warms up with a song

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

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

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

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

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

Ending a community clean up in Leogane on a high note

GOALS Releases Its First Annual Report

Photo credit: Wyatt Smith

Last May, GOALS was launched as a new soccer-for-development initiative in Haiti's most impoverished communities. It's been an exciting year, and has seen the organization accomplish a tremendous amount on the ground with limited resources. Each month, we are able to work with more children and their families, and our proven successes has drawn support from around the world. Today, over 460 children are a part of GOALS' programs and we have an in-country staff of 6 local Haitian residents. We impact an additional 1,984 people every day through our outreach to players' families. The story of this first year, the numbers, the details on our ongoing work are all detailed in GOALS' first annual report. To view the report in pdf format, please click here. 

The progress that GOALS has made in Haiti in the past year is thanks to you. We are incredibly grateful for your support, your encouragement, and your commitment to helping GOALS achieve its mission of using soccer to improve the quality of life for children and their communities. Today, hundreds of children who are leading healthier and happier lives thanks to the programs we have only just begun. With the release of our first annual report, we have one, simple goal:
 

Please share our website with one friend, family member, or colleague today. 

With just one click of a button, you can help us make huge strides forward in achieving one of our main ambitions for 2011: to raise awareness about GOALS. Each page on the site has buttons to share via email or Facebook, or you can simply forward the link on to one other person you know. In under a minute, you will be making a significant contribution to our work on the ground in Haiti, and to our plans to bring soccer to even more children in 2011. 

Thank you!

Annual Report 2011

Meet C.F. Croix: "They'll Never Feel Like Leaving"

Wilio, at left, warms up with the team

GOALS is thrilled to officially introduce its newest youth soccer team, a teenage boys’ club from an area in Léogane called Carrefour Croix. This team, which has 25 players, is run by a head coach, Romel, and two assistant coaches, Sony and Busly.

The Carrefour Croix team marks a milestone for GOALS. It is our second site, and the first time that we have expanded our programs to include more children and their families. Every afternoon, kids from all over the area come to play soccer and develop new skills. The official team consists of boys aged 15-18 years old, and has been generously sponsored by John and Cathy Sommers.

The new team was originally started by Wilio, a young man who made the daily commute from Carrefour Croix to our Destra base for months. He applied to create a new team, organized the players, and invited GOALS to begin work in the area. Wilio continues to shine as a team leader, and demonstrates some of the best qualities GOALS hopes to develop in its participants.

The second, unofficial CF Croix team

The greatest part about the new Carrefour Croix team is that our impact in the area has quickly surpassed the 25 players on the official roster. First, the three coaches independently organized an additional informal team on their own, which includes girls and boys who are 8-15 years old. This younger team practices daily before the Carrefour Croix team starts their training. The kids run all over the grassy field, grinning from ear to ear as they chase the ball. Though there’s the usual laughter and traffic jams typical of kids’ teams, the players are also demonstrating an impressive level of skill, organization, and discipline at an early age. Watching them scrimmage one afternoon, Romel remarked, “Now that they’re playing, they’ll never feel like leaving.”

It’s exciting progress that GOALS has garnered enough support in recent months to expand its programs in the Léogane area. The Carrefour Croix community includes 151 new households and 513 people who join the GOALS family. The needs of this community are high. Average school enrollment hovers around 50% for children, 66% of households have no access to sanitation facilities, and 40% of households have no income due to unemployment.

GOALS is working to develop new skills in Carrefour Croix to plan public service projects and programs. To date, GOALS has provided a drinking water and hand-washing station, run a community deworming clinic, and begun community clean ups. The Carrefour Croix players are motivated and focused about improving their community’s quality of life and creating new opportunities for their futures. 

Two girls at CF Croix practice

The Carrefour Croix team has made a promising debut, and the players’ enthusiasm both on and off the field is exciting to see. The kids and their families have welcomed GOALS warmly, and their support and enthusiasm has kicked off our work in this new area to a great start. In Carrefour Croix, the soccer balls never seem to stop moving, and everyone at GOALS is looking forward to the team’s progress over the next year. 

GOALS teams up with All Hands, Crocs, Aol & One World Futbol - Vini Jwe!

UPDATE: The teen boys' team beat out 7 other teams from Leogane and Port-au-Prince to win the Vini Jwe tournament and earn recognition as a local powerhouse! It was incredible to see the  players celebrate after working so hard. Thank you to everyone involved for an amazing day.

It's no surprise that Haiti is in love with soccer. In fact, more than 3 billion people watched the World Cup last year, making it the most popular event in the world. Now, soccer is being celebrated in Leogane again in the name of community service. This month, GOALS  has teamed up with All Hands Volunteers, Crocs, Aol, and One World Futbol to celebrate National Volunteer Week by building a community soccer field and hosting a tournament for local Haitian and international teams.

Even better, the tournament is only the beginning. With support of The Delaney Bay Fund, GOALS will launch a new neighborhood team who will use the new field for practices and competitions, develop leadership skills, and improve the quality of life for themselves and for their community.

Vini jwe!

Who's Who
First, check out the new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to learn new details on the GOALS framework for sport-and-development, our long-term vision for the organization, and what a daily schedule is like for our kids.

All Hands Volunteers is a non-profit organization that utilizes the power of volunteers to bring direct assistance to those in need around the world. They are providing the design, materials and manpower to build the soccer field.

Crocs is a world leader in innovative casual footwear for men, women and children, and is generously sponsoring Vini Jwe.

Aol. is a global internet services and media company acting as the media partner promoting Vini Jwe and providing media support for All Hands Volunteers.

One World Futbol manufactures and distributes the world’s most durable soccer ball, the One World Futbol. The futbol never deflates, never needs a pump or needle, never gets waterlogged, and goes on playing even if punctured numerous times. One World Futbol is donating balls for the tournament and the GOALS program.

Want to know more? Check out the event poster and press release!

Vini Jwe!

Full Speed Ahead!

GOALS teams mid-play

This month, I spent a busy two weeks in the United States promoting and developing GOALS while spending time in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. Blue, green, and yellow program t-shirts were sent to every corner of the U.S. to GOALS’ supporters. Your purchases of GOALS t-shirts generated over $500 for our after-school program in just one week – thank you!

When I returned to Leogane, I sat down with Emilio, Site Director, and Nadège, Senior Program Manager, to catch up and check on all aspects of the program. They beamed as we reviewed the progress from the 2 weeks that I was absent. The staff had initiated improvements in our program space and built a new playing field. A special committee from our Dream Team had independently conducted a new community survey to evaluate our programs. Meanwhile, the Dream Team had also completed a new community service project to improve a public meeting area using recycled materials.

Nadege passes out the afternoon snack

It is one of GOALS’ biggest successes that our local staff, who are from Destra, excel in their roles to lead the program’s activities independently on a day-to-day basis. Emilio and Nadège help plan the site’s program budget, monitor inventory, develop new activities and projects for the children, and coordinate our local programs. Emilio has overseen the construction of over 205 storm shelters in the area surrounding our program site. Nadege has assisted 50 families in starting their own vegetable gardens in addition to starting a large demonstration garden and compost collection bin.

GOALS’ intensive training for local staff is one of the most unique and most sustainable aspects of our impact in Destra. Our emphasis on youth leadership develops these same skills at an earlier stage for our teenage Dream Team members. This month, the Dream Team started “Professional Days” during their weekly training workshop, in which they invite local leaders from the community to discuss their work and career paths.

The Dream Team also put these principles into action, organizing a special match for the program’s youngest participants. Cassandra, the team’s co-president, even assisted Dr. Oshri, a visiting Israeli physician who volunteered to come run a mobile clinic at GOALS. Furthermore, the Dream Team visited GOALS’ new neighborhood team in a nearby area named Carrefour Croix. At Carrefour Croix, the Dream Team presented before the community about GOALS and worked with the new team’s players to develop their first community service projects.

Chasing the ball during our afternoon program in Destra

How is this much good news possible in just one month? The hard work of Emilio, Nadege, our coaches, the program’s participants, the support of the community – all of this goes ten times farther because of the outstanding support from our donors, volunteers, and interns who are always working to increase GOALS’ impact from the United States.

The GOALS’ community has quadrupled in the last four weeks. Thank you to everyone who has donated, bought a t-shirt, subscribed to the website, and volunteered time and energy to help GOALS grow, improve its programs, and reach out to more kids here in Haiti. There are myriad ways in which our network of supporters has levied our efforts on-the-ground to make a much bigger impact. From everyone at GOALS, thank you to board member Paul Sorensen, John and Cathy Sommers, and the Delaney Bay Fund who have donated in the past month to support our program and sponsor local teams.

I met with Matt Severson, from the School Fund, at Brown University

At Brown, where I spoke on a panel at the Watson Institute for International Studies, I met with all of the on-campus interns and volunteers for the first time ever – and there are ten of them! Thanks to interns living in Washington State, Utah, Georgia, Canada and the Dominican Republic, GOALS is truly benefitting from a global effort to use sport to improve quality of life in Haiti and begin creating long-lasting change.

GOALS is all about leveraging resources and creating synergy through smart collaborations. As a result, we operate quickly and efficiently to use sport to engage youth in community and development work. Our after-school program, with a staff of four, draws about 175-200 children a day from the surrounding area. In addition, our nearby Carrefour Croix team has about 60 more children playing soccer and organizing new community service projects. We will update you soon on this team’s progress and our results from the area’s recent census.

Wrapping up an afternoon practice

So, as Emilio and I like to say at the end of the day, “Wow, we are busy!” GOALS is charging full steam ahead, fueled by the dedication of our Destra team and the efforts of our supporters in the United States. It’s an incredible community to be a part of, and thank you for everything you are doing to make it even better.

Sincerely,
Kona Shen
Founder & Director

PS – Ever wonder how and why GOALS was started in the first place? Read my Founder's Story to hear how about the creation of GOALS.

The end to another busy day in Destra

Do Good, Look Great - Buy a GOALS t-shirt!

John serves lunch

UPDATE: With your support, GOALS raised $500 in one week by selling our program t-shirts. We are not currently offering t-shirts for sale, but please write us at contact@goalshaiti.org if you're interested. Thank you for your interest!

Want to cut to the chase? Click HERE to buy your t-shirt!

There's nothing like a good deed to make you feel good. Now, GOALS wants you to look good while doing good. For one week only, GOALS is asking you to support our program by purchasing one of our snazzy t-shirts to help us reach more kids and their families in rural Haiti.

How does buying a t-shirt support GOALS?
Your purchase will directly help the kids in GOALS programs and their families. Each purchase will help fund our daily after-school program, where kids eat, play and develop as young leaders who are improving the quality of life in their community. Specifically, the funds received from t-shirt purchases will all be used increase the number of children who can practice and compete as part of our soccer teams by allowing us to buy basic equipment.

Why support GOALS?
If you're on our website, you already know that GOALS has quickly proven itself to be innovative and effective. Our blog and past updates are full of details. We have been recognized by the Echoing Green Fellowship, which has selected GOALS as a semifinalist. In addition, Matt Streng, Director of Programs at Grassroot Soccer, writes that: "What makes GOALS Haiti unique is its creative and participatory use of a sport-for-development approach to address immediate and long-term environmental issues."

Eating lunch!

So, how do I buy a t-shirt?
T-shirts are 100% cotton and available in adult sizes small, medium and large. Our 3 program colors are available: our players sport lime green, our Dream Team youth leaders wear bright yellow, and our staff and adult volunteers wear aquamarine blue. The t-shirts are emblazoned with the GOALS logo and an early Haitian Creole translation of "Global Outreach And Love of Soccer."

You can buy t-shirts for $20, plus $3.50 for shipping, for a total of $23.50. Click the box below to buy a t-shirt, or find the link here. Please email contact@goalshaiti.org with questions or comments.

Click here to buy your t-shirt!
Click here to buy your t-shirt!

Thank you for your support!

The young leaders of our Dream Team
The young leaders of our Dream Team

Want to do even more? Please subscribe to the website to receive GOALS news first! To see our newest photos, please like us on Facebook. Thank you!

5-Star, Full Technique and Kona Athletique Club

GOALS celebrates a point scored

February was a busy month for GOALS, to say the least. Our mid-month update covered our progress in the first two weeks: news coverage, great additions to our crew of interns, a public health seminar,  and a generous donation of brand-new equipment. Even better, our participants continue to grow as young leaders on and off the field.

Playing in our first local tournament

So what exactly do 5-Star, Full Technique and the Kona Athletique Club have in common? These are some of the creative names that our youth teams have come up with for themselves in competitions in the last month. In February, we pushed to improve our soccer training program and our teams played in more matches than ever before as we organized games and our first local tournament.

The girls get ready for their first game

Meanwhile, we are making sure all kids get a chance to play. Last week, our youth girls and boys teams went head to head, with the girls making their competitive debut. This week, the Dream Team organized short matches for our youngest participants – starting at age 7 – to make sure they also had the opportunity to play competitively. There was nothing better than seeing these youngest groups gleefully playing their hearts out to understand that love of the game is at the root of all our ongoing initiatives to improve quality of life in rural Haiti.

The boys celebrate a point scored

Having fun doesn’t exclude making serious progress, as any athlete can tell you. While our participants are growing as players, we are committed to supporting their educations and their futures. Through The School Fund, we have added three more students from our Dream Team youth group who are now receiving high school scholarships. These students are remarkable leaders, and we believe that supporting their education is one of the best ways to thank them for their volunteer service for their community. This month alone, they created a new community space out of recycled materials, helped lead a public health seminar, and assisted Senior Program Manager Nadège in planting a big new demonstration vegetable garden.

Nadege, Senior Program Manager, and Coach Elbrone enjoy a match

GOALS’ successes this month are thanks to the commitment of the local community in Destra and to the help of our supporters around the world. To date, we have built over 140 storm shelters donated by Samaritan’s Purse in our program area entirely with a local volunteer build crew. While Destra residents are busy making change in their community, your ongoing support of GOALS is helping to improve the quality of life in this part of rural Haiti on a daily basis. At Brown University (brown.edu) in Rhode Island, an engineering class is working with GOALS to address water and energy problems in Destra, and the student-led Sustainability Consulting Partnership has joined with Heather Turney, intern extraordinaire, to create a dynamic new environmental curriculum.

Kona Athletique Club gears up for a match

We’re thrilled that GOALS is getting more global every day! Thank you to our newest supporters in Haiti, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Britain, Brazil and the United States. Léogane colleague Ben Wiselogle and GOALS board member Kenneth Sommers are our most recent donors, and on behalf of all the kids and families here in Destra, thank you for your outstanding support of GOALS’ work in Haiti.

Want to stay updated on GOALS’ progress throughout the month, plus see our newest photos? Join us on facebook for our highlights every week. Thank you!

The Boy's Team

Emerging leaders in action!

Waiting for the program to start

February is only halfway done, and GOALS has already moved forward in leaps and bounds. The month has been full of exciting developments, including a news article, additions to our intern crew, and donations of brand new soccer equipment.

With all this progress, what is most exciting? That’s easy – the incredible pace at which our participants are developing strong leadership skills.

Dream Team presidents and vice presidents present on deworming

Today, the GOALS Dream Team recognized its first class of youth leaders in a ceremony, and welcomed the new class to its ranks. The Team now has 23 teenagers who help manage the afternoon program, lead service projects, and volunteer in neighboring areas. These team members are eligible for scholarships through The School Fund.

The Team does much more than talk about leadership. This month, they independently organized and completed a project to improve our courtyard area. They recycled old tires as public seating and created a fresh new community space that serves our program and local residents. The space now serves as a focal point during our town meetings and public events.

The Dream Team space was packed for the deworming seminar

It’s hard to emphasize enough that these young adults changed their community through this project independently – they organized themselves, planned a work schedule, and completed the work without outside help.

The new space is already in full use. Last week, GOALS welcomed a public health speaker from Tevel B’tzedek who ran a de-worming seminar for all local adults and children. The Dream Team helped deliver the presentation, and as a result, over 300 people have taken deworming medication, many for the first time, in the Destra area.

Getting up close and personal before a match

With GOALS, leadership is about action, and the Dream Team is our finest example of our program’s successes to date. We will keep bringing you news on our outreach programs across the region, an upcoming local tournament, and our newly formed neighborhood soccer club in Carrefour Croix.

In the meantime, check out our newly posted photos on Facebook and follow us there. Lastly, are you or someone you know trying to figure out your summer plans? GOALS is looking for a volunteer English teacher who wants to work with a group of incredibly bright, passionate kids this summer. 

GOALS in the news

Destra's soccer field (Photo: Ray Shader)

GOALS was excited to be featured this week by Ray Shader on Mathaba News! The article is the second in a series on NGOs working in Haiti. The full text appears below.

"In my previous article I wrote that the larger NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) had separated themselves from the community they were attempting to serve. They had separated to the degree that they were wasting the resources and funds available to them.

This week I was able to sit down with Kona Shen, founder and director of GOALS Haiti. Actually as I spent time with her and discussed GOALS I saw that she was not only the director but she filled the roles of: intern, accountant, receptionist, file clerk and appointments manager. It was refreshing seeing someone hold themselves accountable because they know their responsibilities, both to the donors and the recipients.

Kona became interested in Haiti at age seventeen. This was in 2005 after the exile of Jean-Bertrand Aristide and due to the civil unrest at the time Haiti was not readily accessible. Two years later, as a freshman in college, she made her first trip to Haiti. She had hoped to start laying the foundation of a public health program. She admits now that she was unprepared for this endeavor and became involved with a Haitian organization in Leogane, Haiti as an English teacher. This organization, The NEGES Foundation, is a completely Haitian organization and laid the groundwork for her to work as a facilitator and guide later on instead of being the big chief in charge."

(Photo: Ray Shader)

I would like to pause here to point out a big difference in what this college freshman recognized that many of the numerous academicians of the various NGOs fail to see. CS Lewis compared progress to doing an arithmetic problem. At times, as you work through a difficult problem, you realize your calculations are wrong and you need to go backwards in order to make better progress forward. Kona, recognizing her original plan wasn’t a good one, backtracked and set off in another direction, one that had the potential of true progress.

An example of the opposite are the transitional shelters built by CHF here that, many times, as soon as they are erected and the building team leaves, the owner dismantles them and sells them for the materials or they sit empty, used only for shade during the day. Why? They have no doors, no windows and the walls are tarp material and afford no security. I believe that this was a problem that was recognized early but I believe there is an NGO playbook somewhere that says, “If a plan isn’t working, force it. NO RETREAT.” By not backing up from a bad plan they have only accomplished the sale of scrap materials and have not had much of an impact on the shelter and security needs of the people.

This willingness to revisit a plan has given Kona, I believe, the ability to be flexible in an environment where things are in a constant state of changing. Most plans should evolve in Haiti; they have to because there is nothing that remains constant here. The weather, political climate or an outbreak of illness are among the uncontrollable variables constantly changing the conditions in which the work is being done. A rigid and static plan will not bear up under the pressures of Haiti’s ever changing times. It will crumble like the buildings that couldn’t roll with the movement of the earth and it will be as useful afterwards.

Barefoot soccer practice (Photo: Ray Shader)

She believes another benefit of her time teaching English with The NEGES Foundation is that it wasn’t a burdensome workload. She had time to walk and visit with the surrounding communities; she was able to start building relationships with the people she wanted to serve.

I mention relationship frequently. I believe that it is an important, if not the most important, thing that an organization can offer. It is where all good work starts. I do realize in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake that action was needed, resources had to be made available quickly and emergencies countermanded the ability to form these relationships.

We are not in the immediate aftermath now though. We are a year down the road and we are bringing in foreigners for every important role and for every important decision.

The Haitian people, between an indifferent government and an equally indifferent -- for a great part -- NGO community, have no say in what happens in their own country. I have talked to many employees and staff of different agencies and they are constantly in meetings, filling out reports, reading reports, scheduling more meetings, reading and writing grant requests, etc… and have no time, or freedom, to actually have time with the people of Haiti.

These relationships, that Kona formed early, are the foundation of how she does what she does in Haiti. In her free time she involved herself in the culture of soccer here. She played and practised with local youths and went to the stadium in Leogane to watch matches. The stadium became an IDP camp after the earthquake and is still the home of 4000+ displaced people. It is these relationships that keep her aware of the changing needs of the people she serves. The involvement allows her to form and change plans as the needs arise.

Coach Jerson Jean Paul (Photo: Ray Shader)

After returning to the U.S. she was speaking at Brown University. During that afternoon she spoke of how something as simple as a sports program in Haiti could reap amazing rewards. One person in attendance, Paul Sorensen, thought she was onto something. After a couple of meetings GOALS Haiti was born.

Haiti has a very different culture than the U.S. or Europe. I hear many people after initially trying to get the people here to accept a different way of doing things, without success, proclaim, “You just can’t teach them any different.” Beside the fact that remarks such as this smack of racism they also demean the people as unable to be educated. Haitians have learned through the generations how to do everything they do from the generation before; childrearing, healthcare, building, etc… and here comes John or Jane Blan saying, “Here is how you’ll do things from now on because I know better.” Regardless of whether they do know better or not the people don’t know him/her well enough to trust them. They do know that there are constantly people showing up out of the blue to “help” them and the next thing they know all their pigs are dead, their rice is worthless, their land is gone or their government has been stolen. After these things, if they weren’t resistant to what these strangers told them it would be reason for concern.

Kona has put in the face time. She has earned respect and trust not by doing big things, but by doing the small things well. She has visited their homes, eaten with them, played with them and talked with them. In short she has become a trusted member of their community and they know through experiencing time with her that what she has to say, even if it challenges cultural norms, is worth listening to.

Trash on the streets of Haiti is something you grow used to. There are no trash trucks nor a street department. There is no department of sanitation or recycling centers. Culturally, to put forth the effort to pick it all up is ridiculous because where do you put it? It is effort that can be better used to provide for your family and home. The community Kona serves is a small fishing village. Because of the amount of trash that is tossed in the canals and then washed out to sea there is a constant flow of trash ending up on their beach. As Kona has put it, “To keep the beach clean is a Sisyphean task.” Nevertheless she spoke with the community about the benefits of a clean beach and the health and safety concerns of a dirty beach. Each day now the young people that are members of the soccer club sponsored by GOALS go clean the beach. Not only do they clean it they set aside the plastic to be recycled. That’s amazing because there are no recycling facilities in Haiti but there is the hope for some in future.

Cleaning the beach at Destra (Photo: Ray Shader)

They could listen and respond not because they were any better equipped to learn but because Kona had their trust. When she put forth the idea of weekly village meetings to discuss the issues and needs of the village it became the plan. In one of these meetings the need for housing was discussed. Various types of shelters were presented for the village to decide among. She was surprised when they chose a shelter by Samaritan’s Purse of similar design to the CHF shelters that didn’t work. The reasons they work for this community; they do have doors and windows and as the community is small crime is not a problem. Kona facilitated the available resources and the community, very capably, made a decision based on their needs and what was available.

Next on the village agenda was a public toilet facility. Sanitation cannot be addressed enough here especially in the aftermath of the outbreak of cholera. A mason was found that volunteered his services. Materials were bought and the project began. Part of the way through it was realized that there were going to be more blocks needed than what was estimated. Instead of stopping and waiting for materials, the community, young and old, brought their own blocks from their properties. They brought the blocks they were going to use to rebuild what they had lost, to finish their toilets.

Before you start thinking about how amazing it is what Kona has accomplished, remember I have described her as a facilitator, a liaison. She has a staff, all Haitian; a director, Emilio Jean Paul, a program manager, Nadege Exillhomme, and two coaches, Jerson Jean Paul and Elbrane Rene for the everyday. She helps to guide them, makes available the resources they need to accomplish their goals and is available as a sounding board for their ideas. The staff is now responsible for introducing the program into surrounding communities.

Girls practicing (Photo: Ray Shader)

I asked Emilio what he felt were the three most important things that have come from this. Quickly he said first; the impact on the kids, they are engaged in the community now and addressing environmental concerns and receiving skills that will make them a catalyst for more change in the future. Also the kids were enjoying the health benefits of playing and practising soccer regularly.  Second; the impact it was having on the environment because of the toilets and regularly cleaning the beaches. Third; that they were able to approach other communities with the program. He didn’t say more on the third but I think that due to a lack of a central government, Haitians, especially in small outlying communities, feel disconnected from their country. Connections between communities will alleviate that.

Because of GOALS Haiti, doctors have been brought to the community to monitor the health and well being of the people, scholarships have been given to the school aged kids, seeds are made available for those that wish to properly prepare a garden and sports equipment has been donated for the soccer program.

In the small building used as a community center there is a poster. It was drawn up by the kids in the program and lists what they feel are the principles that form the foundation of GOALS. Almost all of them say something about respect. They do not say here is how you earn respect but these are the people you show respect to. The list is about twenty items long so they did not leave anyone out. They know, as children, that community begins with respect and that it is the tool they will need to lift themselves and their neighbors, maybe not out of poverty, but as Jean-Bertrand Aristide writes in his book “Eyes Of The Heart”, up to poverty with dignity. Hope begins in respect.  NGOs, are you listening?"

GOALS kicks off 2011 with its best January ever!

Dream Team members enjoying a skit

GOALS has had a great start to the new year. In fact, this is easily the organization’s best January ever. True, this is in part due to the fact that GOALS launched 6 short months ago, in June 2010. It is amazing how quickly GOALS has made an impact in Haiti during this time.

Our after-school program continues to attract about 200 kids a day. These players, aged 7-19 years old, are now training and competing as GOALS teams. This month, GOALS also launched its first two neighborhood soccer clubs. The two teams add another 50 soccer fanatics to the GOALS family in the Leogane region of Haiti. Even better, more teams throughout Haiti, from Jeremie to Cite Soleil, are reaching out to GOALS to work together.

January 2011 event

Our spring term in Destra kicked off with a big community event. The Dream Team and GOALS staff emceed the event, which was full of singing, dancing, and laughter. A mother of two GOALS players said, “I would like to thank GOALS for its work in Destra. Now, at home, my little girls say we have to wash our hands so we don’t get cholera!” These kids are effective, fun-loving ambassadors to their families and they’re doing great work in their community.

No doubt this is a common sentiment for the parents out there, but I’m stunned at how fast the GOALS kids are growing up. Every time I see them, I could swear they’re taller. And our pack of active kids means we always need more equipment!

Washing hands before eating

GOALS would like to send a big thank you out to Benjy, from Seattle, who organized his friends to collect soccer equipment and donated it to GOALS. Tiago, from Brazil, came to Destra with huge suitcases of donated equipment in Haiti’s flag colors. The kids could barely contain their excitement, and their commitment to the GOALS program just keeps growing.

Thanks to all of our enthusiastic donors, supporters and volunteers, kids in rural Haiti can play soccer with basic materials and equipment, in good health and full of joy. Don’t be a stranger! To learn more, get involved, or get in touch, email us at contact@goalshaiti.org. 

January event presentations

In Haiti, Amputees Beat Odds and Excel at Soccer

Competitive amputee soccer

Mackendy Francois, 23, has “found an unlikely outlet in amputee soccer, a physically demanding sport that advocates for the disabled hope will create new opportunities for Haitians who have lost limbs and are now struggling to survive…”

Following news that the Haitian government raised its earthquake-related death toll to 316,000, the Associated Press published a remarkable article on survivors with amputees playing competitive soccer.

Haiti’s amputee athletes are exceptional, and they are demonstrating their skills and passion through competitive sports. Haitians’ love of the game is such that almost nothing can stop kids here from enjoying soccer. This summer, GOALS will work with partner organizations to reach out to children disabled from the 2010 earthquake and provide new ways for them to play soccer.  Want to learn more? Check out the American Amputee Soccer Association and the International Institute of Sport.