Causes

Youth development Youth development

Posted by

Jolinda H.

Executive Director

Our mission

GOALS Haiti uses soccer to engage youth in community service and education to improve quality of life today and develop new leaders for tomorrow.

What we do

GOALS is designed to tap into kids’ and communities’ incredible love for soccer and channel that passion toward long-lasting, sustainable change from the ground up.

GOALS uses sport to engage communities on issues that affect their daily lives, emphasizing education, health, gender, and the environment. Every week, teams choose a service project and attend an educational seminar in exchange for soccer equipment, food and water, materials, and a coaching stipend. On the field, players practice soccer, conflict resolution, and leadership skills.

Our impact:
Currently, GOALS’ daily soccer, service and education programs reach over 600 boys and girls, ages 7-18, each month at four different sites in Leogane. We have directly impacted over 6,200 people to date.

During 80,667 hours of volunteer service, our players have come together to plant 60 community vegetable gardens and 800 trees; pick up over 66,825 gallons of trash; and recycle six truckloads of plastic bottles. Since 2010, our kids have eaten over 232,000 healthy meals and 30 students have returned to school through our scholarship program.

Why we're unique:
- GOALS is the only organization in Haiti providing children with free, daily sport-for-development programs on a permanent basis.
- By requiring communities to support boys and girls teams equally, we are one of the most gender equitable sport-for-development projects worldwide.
- Fifteen of sixteen staff members are Haitian, and every member of “Team GOALS” participates in intensive leadership trainings.
- Monthly meetings are held publicly to solicit feedback, answer questions, and engage community stakeholders.

In our first two years, GOALS established itself as a global leader in the field and was awarded the “Best New Project” honor by Beyond Sport, presented by Tony Blair in London. Now if that doesn't say it all, what will?