5 Easy Ways to Support GOALS this Holiday Season

Happy holidays from GOALS!

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’ programs have continued to grow and improve, making deeper investments in children's health, education and well-being in rural Haiti. Outreach to players' families has grown thanks to new partnerships. We now reach over 600 children per month and now grant 27 high school scholarships to hard-working, ambitious young leaders who form our Dream Team.

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. Like Us! A great, free way to join Team GOALS! Like our Facebook page to receive photos and news from the field 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. Click here to visit GOALS' Facebook page.
     
  2. Follow @goalshaiti Another great way to keep in touch with our busy programs in Haiti! Follow us on Twitter to see videos, read interviews, and follow press on GOALS to learn about how we tackle on-the-ground development in 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 Seattle, Pittsburgh and upstate New York 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. 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 2013. 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 $25 supplies a classroom with notebooks and pencils, a donation of $50 provides the seeds and tools for a community to plant a vegetable garden, and a donation of $100 gives 25 children food and water at soccer practice for one month. Click here to make your donation.

Thank you for your support!

Happy holidays from Gabelitha!

Soap and Soccer: GOALS' 3rd Annual Global Hand Washing Day Tournament

GOALS' 3rd annual Global Hand Washing Day soccer tournament was a huge success this year! It was a day-long event filled with food, music, dancing, soccer, prizes, and, of course, plenty of soap and hand washing! Global Hand Washing Day is UNICEF’s campaign to raise awareness about the importance of hand washing world wide. In Haiti, like much of the developing world, death by diseases of hygiene – cholera and diarrhea in particular - are far too common, especially in children. And, since it’s often young women who are taking care of their younger siblings at home, they’re the most critical audience when it comes to hand washing. That’s why we decided that this year's tournament would focus on girls.

Getting ready

Our next door neighbors, the United Nations Sri Lankan peacekeeping battalion, MINUSTAH, offered their support to make the day an even bigger success for the community. The soldiers woke up early to set up a small stage, a Haitian flag and, most importantly, a hand washing station, where kids could wash their hands before eating and throughout the day.

The festivities kicked off with everyone - girls, coaches, soldiers and GOALS staff standing at attention for the Haitian national anthem and a salute from the MINUSTAH commander.  Each of the team captains introduced themselves to the commander and he wished them all luck for the tournament. The girls were a bit shy, but he was excited to meet them and shake their hands.

During the matches, a volunteer read hygiene messages, in between excited cries of “GOOOOAAAL!” and cheers from the gathered crowd. In between matches, the Chatulet girls’ team presented a hand washing dance set to music from Beyonce. They had been practicing their routine after hygiene-promotion lessons on the field in the weeks before the tournament.

GOALS' girls' soccer team performed this dance which demonstrates the basic motions to go through when hand washing as part of our Global Hand Washing Day events in Leogane, Haiti in partnership with UNICEF. Check out the kids dancing along, and the Sri Lankan MINUSTAH peacekeepers taking photos. The crowd loved it!

GOALS’ scholarship kids, the Dream Team, proudly donned their yellow GOALS t-shirts and helped out with everything that needed to be done, from hanging posters to distributing soap to the crowd. After lunch, they circulated the field with a trash bag to make sure no litter was left behind.

Amongst the many highlights of the day was a hand washing relay race for the younger kids. With huge grins and full of intention, they ran across the field, washed their hands, and ran back as fast as they could. Hilarious!

Relay race

Another highlight was a friendly GOALS and MINUSTAH soccer match. With intermixed teams, GOALS coaches and kids played alongside Sri Lankan soldiers who took off their boots and changed out of their fatigues for the occasion. MINUSTAH has a tenuous relationship with the local community, and rumors of the match had kept the onlookers curious all day. They wanted to see the soldiers playing soccer, and wondered if they were any good!

Nice save!

At the end of the day, Destra’s girls’ team won in a final face-off against the Chatile home team. The girls went wild when they saw the championship trophy and the prize: a beautiful set of brand new official Team USA jerseys, donated by Olympian and US women's team goalkeeper Hope Solo. The winning team also received a certificate of appreciation from the Sri Lankan battalion, sealing the rapport that had been building throughout the day.

Victory!

Thanks to UNICEF, every single one of our soccer players received a bar of soap, so they could literally take home the message they learnt at the tournament. But besides reinforcing the critical message of the importance of hand washing, the goodwill established between hundreds of soccer players and fans and the UN peacekeeping forces at the tournament will leave a lasting impression.

GOALS’ successful Global Hand Washing Day tournament once again proves that with a soccer ball and a little push from behind, anything is possible.

A huge thank you to volunteer Michael Shroyer for the beautiful photos. Visit our Facebook page to see more of his photos from the Global Hand Washing Day tournament, or visit his photo blog to follow more of his travels in Haiti.

Hurricane Sandy Floods GOALS Communities in Leogane

While the US gears up for "Frakenstorm," Leogane is recovering from Hurricane Sandy's damage from last week. Heavy rains and strong winds caused widespread flooding, blocked roads, and loss of life and property. Families evacuated with what they could carry. The damage seems to have exceeded anyone’s expectations. MINUSTAH helped GOALS reach flooded rural communities, where we distributed UNICEF hygiene kits and some bread. The need in these areas remains extremely high.

GOALS hit the road Friday morning to visit Carrefour Croix and Destra, which were hit the worst. There was water everywhere. Rivers, canals and fields that are usually bone-dry were overflowing. Flash floods are one of the main ways that people die because of storms in Haiti.

Because of Haiti’s deforestation, the water was brown, full of top soil and silt rushing down from the mountains. In Destra, the water was chalky and pale from water gushing down from the mountain’s lime quarry. Banks of stream beds and canals were crumbling due to the water’s force. More trees would help with this problem, as the roots grip the earth and help canals stay intact. But the rain and wind were too forceful for many of the trees that do exist; in some places, trees were falling, blocking the roads, and dragging down makeshift power lines.

The fields of crops on the way to Destra showed the storm’s strength. The sugar cane was flattened, fields flooded and banana trees uprooted. The water also carried away goats and other livestock that people depend on. In many places, the road was completely covered in water. We managed to make it through in pick up trucks, but the water came up high above the wheels.

Jolinda, Sri Bat and UNICEF hygiene kits (by Chris Baird)

Driving around Carrefour Croix, Terasonson and Destra, there was a lot to take in. A young woman used a small bucket to bail out her flooded home. A little boy caught a fish in an over-flowing stream, and held it up proudly to show off. In our case, a UN vehicle filled with Sri Lankan soldiers and GOALS’ mixed crew of Haitians and Americans only added to the spectacle.

Emilio, Jean Kendy and Shelove on the way back to Leogane

People were grateful for the little help we could provide. Showing up to check in with people and see how they were doing seemed as important as the hygiene kits and food. We walked around to see the damage in Destra, slogging through rain and mud and getting soaked to the bone.

Amazingly, the kids at Destra struck up an impromptu “animasyon,” and led us around on the visit chanting, singing and dancing. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and I think everyone in our group was thinking about how much we need to help.

Recovering from this storm will be a long process, combining reconstruction, environmental conservation and cholera prevention projects. The work we’ve done in these areas has helped, but there’s a lot left to be done before families aren’t quite so vulnerable to natural disasters.

Still smiling! (by Chris Baird)

My favorite part of the day happened on a stretch of road on the way to Destra. It was pouring out, the entire road was badly flooded, and I wasn’t even sure if the truck could make it. But up ahead, you could spot children playing soccer on a drier piece of land. They were kicking a ball around happily, running and skidding in the mud, and getting completely soaked. It reminded me of children playing soccer amongst rubble after the 2010 earthquake here, and one of the reasons GOALS was started in the first place. It really is crazy how much children here love the game, but it’s a beautiful thing to see.

Nothing can stop soccer (by Chris Baird)

More Information
Nearly 11,000 people evacuated in Haiti. Read details on Hurricane Sandy in the UN’s short situation report

Updates and photos from the field on GOALS’ Facebook page

Get news and pictures as it’s happening in Leogane on Twitter@goalshaiti

Dream Team Program Grants 27 Scholarships

Dream Team 2012-2013

For the third consecutive year, GOALS has grown its Dream Team program, which provides full scholarships to high school students who stand out as emerging leaders at school and in their communities. This year, with full support from The Child Survival Fund, GOALS is providing scholarships to 27 young adults in Leogane, Haiti.

The acceptance rate in the program was 12.8%. For 5 available new scholarships, we received 47 applications. Students were chosen based on grades, community service, program participation, recommendation letters, and a cover letter.

All of the applicants were strong, but the new additions to the Dream Team were truly remarkable. Dinya and Josephene, for example, had 94% attendance rates, and Steevenson's grades were over 23% higher than the average Dream Team GPA.

Rose Mirlande

Rose Mirlande has been in the Dream Team since 2010, the program's inaugural year. She writes:

"I will never stop being grateful to you, because my mother and father didn’t have any way for me to continue school. I like biology and chemistry because I want to become a great doctor so I can help people that are suffering and people that are in need and don’t have a way to get care." 

In the Dream Team, girls are a majority. In the Leogane communities where GOALS works, we have found that girls generally have stronger grades, higher participation and a greater need for financial support to finish school. Currently, 59% of our Dream Team is female, up from 56.5% last year.

Olsen

That said, we couldn't be prouder of the boys in the program! Olsen lives in an area that was devastated by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti; his community is still recovering and many people still do not have homes. In addition to soccer and service, Olsen has studied English with GOALS and has progressed an incredible amount. Here is part of his original letter, which he wrote in English:

"Thanks to GOALS, I have been on a grant for several years in my school. That relieved me a lot. And now, I am very glad ... thank you once more for everything you have done for me, for my parents. I wish you would never stop helping the Haitian people.
Yours sincerely, 
Olsen"

These students will be busy in the upcoming academic year. The Dream Team will lead our health promotion and community service activities in Leogane. They’re already planning a new hygiene presentation for our third annual Global Hand Washing Day tournament next week. We promise to keep bringing you news from these students, as well as their own thoughts on GOALS, education, and their daily lives in rural Haiti.

Group Activities

For more news and photos, find us on Facebook and Twitter! As always, you can get in touch with us at contact@goalshaiti.org, or by leaving a message on our website.

Thank you for your support!

September: Heartbreak and Hope

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sincerely,
Jolinda

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

Follow us on Twitter!

Cleaning up after Isaac

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Post-hurricane update: We're ok

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

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

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

Destra Girls Team

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

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

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

Our scholarship students and soccer players at Destra

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

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

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

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

Check out recent photos and news on our Facebook page

Get breaking news and fun updates on our Twitter page

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

GOALS' 2012 Annual Report Now Available

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

View the 2012 Annual Report.

Letter from the Executive Director

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kona Shen
Founder & Director

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

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

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

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

Improving Health in Haiti, from Kids to Communities

Teenage boys at Chatuley practice a health skit

For active young adults, being informed about one’s health is crucial. Players in the GOALS programs must know how to protect their health, when to go to the doctor, and how to prevent disease. At GOALS, we’ve zeroed in on the most important issues relating to the health of our participants and their families and developed a series of seminars to help spread information and train peer educators.

This month, we are bringing communities in Léogane, Haiti health seminars that focus on preventing diseases such as cholera, sexual health and decision-making, diabetes, and oral hygiene. Our partner clinic, Klinik Kominote, will provide services and technical training. Our emphasis on healthcare ties into our broader mission of improving quality of life for participants on a daily basis.

Enjoying the skits as they develop

Our methods reflect our commitment to developing leadership skills for long-term growth. First, we conduct in-depth staff training so that site coordinators are well-versed in the topic at hand. This is critical, since children and adults alike in communities with GOALS teams often approach the site coordinator with health-related questions.

Second, these site coordinators then conduct health education workshops in their communities with the assistance of senior staff. This gives coordinators a chance to learn through teaching, gain public speaking experience, and demonstrate leadership qualities to our program participants.

Local site staff, Andre and Ricardo, lead a Q&A session

Third, these participants, typically teenagers, assist the site coordinators and senior staff to bring this information to their families and to the general public. This is the last step, and the most important. Site coordinators and program participants work together to teach what they have recently learned, and they do so in creative ways. Engaging and funny skits on the importance of washing hands, for example, send the crowd off roaring with laughter. Bringing humor and theater to the discussion engages people of all ages, and makes the educational seminars fun and inviting for everyone.

This is a unique combination of things, laughter and learning. At the end of the day, this approach lies at the core of GOALS’ approach. Engaging the community, making sustainable development fun, learning through teaching – this is what GOALS is all about. This is why we think that making a difference can feel good for everyone involved, and be effective to boot. Bravo to all of our fantastic teachers and leaders, from staff to students!

Enjoying the skits in Chatuley

For more information on our ongoing health seminars, and an upcoming mobile clinic, don’t forget to visit us on Facebook and Twitter!

GOALS welcomes Sam Sezak to the Board of Directors

GOALS is pleased to announce that Sam Sezak has joined our Board of Directors! Sam comes to us with a wealth of business experience, and has been instrumental in helping GOALS grow and develop during the past year. Sam Sezak is a partner at Blue Heron Capital, a boutique PE group that invests in early stage, growth, and buy-out opportunities. He is actively involved with Blue Heron’s portfolio of companies including innRoad and CSA Medical. Prior to this, Sam served as portfolio manager for New Vantage Group a venture capital firm where he co-managed a portfolio of over $35 million and 35 early stage companies. In addition, Sam has lectured and consulted around the world on the topic of angel investing.  Prior to joining New Vantage Group, Sam worked for Merrill Lynch’s Global Markets and Investment Banking Division.

Sam spent several years in Ukraine and in Poland, first as a US Peace Corps Volunteer and then as a Consultant, where he advised foreign investors looking to enter the marketplace, co-managed a European-funded tourism development project, developed and delivered customer service training programs for hotel and restaurant managers, and worked with government officials and local entrepreneurs to organize multiple marketing cooperatives. In addition to serving on the GOALS Board of Directors, he is an advisor to Agora Partnerships, a non-profit committed to supporting entrepreneurs in Central America. Sam holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Cornell School of Hospitality Management and a Masters of Business from Georgetown University.

GOALS in the news

GOALS'  youth soccer tournament, VinJwe, generated quite a buzz here in Haiti, and news of the tournament has reached far and wide. A live interview with GOALS founder Kona Shen and Regional Coordinator Emilio Jean Paul was broadcast from the tournament and heard across Haiti at 104.9 RFMHaiti and in Haitian Creole language station Energy Radio out of Boston, Massachusetts.

The sporting world also took notice of this unique event in Haiti. TotalFootballMag featured GOALS’ tournament on it’s front page and also in their World football news section. Check it out: Youth tournament in Haiti proves football is more than just a game.

On the other side of the Atlantic, SheKicks magazine, a woman's soccer news publication in the UK, featured several pictures of our girls' teams for their international news section. You can read it here: Haiti's GOALS Hit the Target.

And, to top off the media buzz, Kreyolicious blog, which celebrates the accomplishments of Haitian-Americans, featured an interview with GOALS founder Kona Shen, naming her a "Friend of Haiti": Kona Shen of GOALS: Using Soccer to Engage Kids.

Now that the tournament is over, we're preparing for our soccer summer camp programs here in Leogane, which give even more kids and communities the opportunity to benefit from GOALS programs.

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

Congratulations to all of the Vin Jwe tournament players!

Girls huddle

GOALS 2nd annual spring soccer tournament, Vin Jwe! (Come and Play), was a huge success! First, congratulations to the winning teams: Fondation L'Athletique D'Haiti’s boys’ and girls’ teams, from Citè Soleil, edged out the competition to take home the championship cup. CNN Hero Patrice Millet’s FONDAPS team took home the second place trophy and the Citadelle Football Club from downtown Port-au-Prince placed second in the girls division. The GOALS girls' and boys' teams both demonstrated their hard work and talent and made it to the semi-finals. The players, local community, and supporting partners at the tournament all had a great weekend.

Over 250 players ages 13 -18 from around Haiti participated in the tournament. We were lucky to be joined by two fantastic organizational partners who came together to encourage and empower the young players to take charge of their personal health. BoulderShares, which also sponsored the event, provided individualized health counseling and launched the use of a new health card to enable youth to track information about their health. Global DIRT was on hand to provide first aid care.

Each team received personal care kits with a variety of donated first aid supplies and hand sanitizer, plus information about protecting themselves against cholera and other health risks. A professional DJ had the kids dancing on the fields in between matches. The DJ also reinforced health and hygiene messages throughout the tournament. An estimated 1,000 people filled the sidelines to support their favorite teams.

Along with learning how to take charge of their health, the young players were treated to an inspiring exhibition match played by Haiti’s national amputee team.

We are proud of the sportsmanship and spirit displayed by all of the teams at the tournament. The girls teams in particular demonstrated an inspiring level of determination and high level of play. Through their love of soccer, these girls have become confident, healthy, determined young women. It’s incredible to see the support they have from the community, including from hundreds of men and boys who cheered them on as they played for a championship title.

Though soccer has a long history in Haiti, using soccer to advance development and promote health is relatively new. By hosting the largest youth soccer tournament in Haiti, GOALS is furthering its ongoing efforts to use soccer as a means to advance social change at the community and national level. Stay tuned, because next year's Vin Jwe! Tournament will be even better!

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Ed and Kathlene are getting married!

Ed and Kathlene

Ed and Kathlene are getting married, and we couldn’t be happier for them! Who are Ed and Kathleen and what do they have to do with GOALS Haiti? Instead of a traditional wedding registry for their beachside wedding next month, Ed and Kathlene, of Santa Monica, California have decided that they’d prefer to help bring soccer (football, if you’re not American) and development projects to improve the lives of kids living in poverty in Haiti. Guests have been asked to forego buying punch bowls and toaster ovens and instead make a donation in their name to support the important work of GOALS Haiti. Who needs a toaster oven or a punch bowl anyways?

Their timing couldn’t be more perfect. With summer just around the corner, GOALS is prepping for this year’s summer camp, which gives us the opportunity to engage with new kids, and to bring real improvements to communities that need it most. Our goal is to raise enough money to send 250 kids to camp this summer. At camp, kids play soccer, learn about the environment, how to keep themselves healthy, and get a nutritious hot meal.

Of course, you don’t have to be getting married in order to support GOALS programs. As a small organization, a donation of any size will make a meaningful impact.

Ed and Kathlene aren’t telling where they’re going to spend their honeymoon, but I know if they ever wanted to come to Haiti, these kids would be happy to see them.

GOALS kids get a hot meal every day at camp

On behalf of all these kids, thanks for thinking of us, Ed and Kathleen (and for letting us share your amazing story on our blog)! We wish you the best on your special day!

Vinn Jwe - You're Invited to GOALS' 2nd Annual Spring Soccer Tournament!

Vinn Jwe!

GOALS invites you to participate in a very exciting event, our 2nd Annual Spring Football Tournament. The tournament will be held on April 14-15, 2012 at L’Athlétique d’Haïti, Robert Duval’s youth football facility in Cité Soleil. The tournament will run 8am-6pm both days. Boys’ and girls’ teams between the ages of 13 and 18 will take part in the tournament.

There are 3 ways to participate:

  1. Register a team! Please refer to the Information for Teams document. The deadline for team registration is March 21, 2012. The registration is first come, first serve, so please contact us as soon as possible!
     
  2. Join us as an organizational partner to provide information and/or services related to youth development.
     
  3. Support the tournament as a sponsor. Please contact us via email if you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities.

In addition, this event will be free and open to the public and we invite everyone to come as spectators and cheer on the teams!

This tournament is special because its goal is to generate community attendance of over 500 people and invite all players and spectators to come for health services and resources provided by Partners in Health. The theme of the tournament is “pwoteje tèt ou – protect your health!” and will empower youth to be proactive about their health. We would be honored if you would join us at this exciting event!

Email: contact@goalshaiti.org

With Love, from GOALS

All Stars

2012 has been off to a busy start here at GOALS. In January, our first ever All Stars Boys’ Team traveled to Port-au-Prince for a friendly match against Boby Duval’s players at L'Atheltique d'Haiti in Cite Soleil. We were lucky to have Julia, from Le JIT Productions, on hand to help document the excitement throughout the day. Fans packed the stands and cheered the team on with chants, songs and clapping. The game ended 0-0 but was extremely well played, and our coaches were proud of the players’ performances.

Traveling to the capital for a game was an exciting event, but this level of passionate support from players’ families and friends is nothing unusual. Every game with every team draws dozens of spectators who analyze every play like it’s a professional match. Small kids come to watch, their eyes huge with awe as they watch the players sprint down the field. Friends and peers keep up loud chants and songs, while parents and local residents simply soak up the ambience. This month, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we are taking a moment to appreciate all of the love that communities in Leogane have for their GOALS teams.

Team huddle

In some places, soccer is still considered primarily a boys’ sport. In GOALS, we know that’s not true. 50% of our sponsored teams are girls’ teams. Other activities and programs draw an average of 45% female participants. As we help to change the idea of who should be playing soccer, the number of girls in our programs keeps growing.

One of our newest teams, the Carrefour Croix girls’ team, is now sponsored by Duane Graham. Kimberly Francois, the local coordinator, told me proudly that while there are 25 players on the official roster, usually no less than 40 show up to the field ready for practice. It took several months for the girls in this area to embrace the idea of their own team, but now they’re as passionate and committed as any boys’ team in the area to their daily practices and weekly matches.

The community in Carrefour Croix has embraced the girls’ team as well. At a recent match, the boys and adult men yielded the field to the girls for their match, giving up their practice time so the girls would have a chance to compete. There were no hard feelings, either. Everyone crowded around the sidelines of the field to cheer for the girls, encourage them, offer lots of advice, and celebrate when the team won their game, 2-1. 

Carrefour Croix girls

This Valentine’s Day, we would like to thank all of the GOALS communities in Leogane for their support of their local teams. Furthermore, thank you to all of the supporters in the United States who have helped push this year off to such a strong start. In addition to Duane Graham, Sean and Kellee Glass are now sponsoring the Darbonne girls’ team as well, rounding out our sponsored teams to ten total in the Leogane area. As a result, in January we were able to reach 574 children in our daily programs!

Finally, in Danielson, CT, Jared Bowns has been an incredible volunteer who has raised awareness, funds and equipment for our programs in Haiti. Thanks to Jared, GOALS has been featured in The Villager and The Bulletin newspapers and on WINY Radio in northeastern Connecticut.

Thank you all for such a great start to the year, and happy Valentine’s Day!

Friends and fans

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GOALS welcomes Fritz Pierre-Louis to the Board of Directors

Fritz Pierre-Louis

GOALS is excited to announce that Fritz Pierre-Louis, of Magepa S.A., has joined our Board of Directors! Fritz is from Leogane, Haiti where GOALS’ operations are concentrated, where he is widely recognized as a prominent local leader and businessman. Fritz received his early education in Leogane, and continued his studies in the United States after his family moved to Connecticut, where he received his electrical engineering degree. Magepa S.A. is co-run with his brother, Paul, has been constructing safe and affordable homes in Haiti for over a decade. Fritz has worked with GOALS previously to make its Waves for Water/Nike Game Changer projects possible, and to provide hundreds of families with clean drinking water. We are honored by this addition to our growing Board of Directors as we continue to develop our internal capacity and on-the-ground programs to improve the quality of life for young people and their communities in Haiti.

Fritz demonstrates a simple water filtration system.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH PRO SOCCER PLAYER JAMES MARCELIN, GOALS' FIRST INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR

James Marcelin

James Marcelin, midfielder for Haiti’s National Team, previously with the Portland Timbers and newly signed with Sporting KC in Kansas City, Kansas, is GOALS' first-ever international ambassador! Mr. Marcelin was born in St. Marc, Haiti, and has had a prominent career in Haiti and abroad. He joined Haiti’s national soccer team in 2007 and signed onto MLS team the Portland Timbers in 2010 and Sporting KC in Kansas City, Kansas in December, 2014.

James in his GOALS t-shirt

As an ambassador, Mr. Marcelin will help raise awareness about GOALS’ work and will serve as a role model for the 500-plus soccer players in GOALS’ daily youth programs in Haiti. Excerpts from GOALS' Interview with James Marcelin:

Why do you like GOALS?
Marcelin: I would say that I like GOALS because they're doing something positive to help the Haitian community in Haiti. I am willing to support the children and be a good role model to them as a professional soccer player.

What is your family like?
Marcelin: One thing I would say about my family is that they're very supportive. Especially my mom, she has been supporting me from the beginning until now. I will never turn my back on them.

What do you miss about Haiti?
Marcelin: I miss pretty much everything about Haiti, starting with my family and friends.

What advice can you offer to younger players?
Marcelin: The advice I would offer to young players is to let them know that if I can do it, they can do it as well. They also have to focus on their education. They must have a destination at an early age. They have to know where they're at and where they want to be. One of the most important thing I want them to know is to never let somebody tell them they CANNOT DO IT because they CAN DO anything positive they put their heart to as long as they believe.

We absolutely agree that education is so important! Which is why we created the GOALS Dream Team School Scholarship fund so that GOALS soccer players have the opportunity to attend school. Click here for more information or to sponsor a student athlete.

Thank you so much for your interview, James, and for being such a great role model to the children GOALS works with every single day in Leogane, Haiti. Wishing you best of luck to you with Sporting Kansas City!

Be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more updates and photos from our sport-for-development programs on the soccer fields of Leogane, Haiti.