FC Juvenat Haiti Community Soccer For Kids

I am James Louis-Charles, an educator, former soccer player, and soccer coach who decided to move back to Haiti a few years ago to work in Sustainable Peace through Sports. Upon arrival, I began working as a Country Director for an NGO that uses soccer for social change for under-resourced kids in rural Haiti.

Last year, I used my experience in social justice through sports to develop a soccer program that could serve as a pipeline to assist kids in their development, either as soccer players and/or as productive members of their communities. Many kids in Haiti are talented soccer players. Unfortunately, they don't have the proper training to reach their full potential, partly due to a lack of available resources and public soccer fields.

For this reason, I decided to create a soccer program for 24 boys and girls from the under-resourced community of Juvenat. With the help of friends and family members, I raised money to get the program started. Union School, where I work as a Social Studies teacher and as an Athletic Director, has allowed us to use the soccer field, and after training, the school also provides food and water for the kids in the program.

FC Juvenat was born, and soon after the program started, the number of kids grew from 24 to 45. Many in the community saw the program as an opportunity to keep their kids from joining a gang, which has become the leading security issue in Haiti.

I want to raise $7,500 to continue providing high-quality soccer training to the boys and girls in the next school year, 2023-2024. In addition, an expert will provide training on gender equality and how to resolve conflicts through sports.

The players will also need soccer equipment such as uniforms, cleats, shin guards, and soccer balls. In the program, kids participate in competitions for their age and play for fun.

The program also received a lot of support from parents and community leaders who volunteered their time and services, and I provided a small stipend as a thank-you for their hard work. With your help, I would like to offer them a small honorarium.

On June 10th, 2023, we had a small tournament and a summer party to conclude our first year. The kids and their parents had a great time, and everyone was grateful for FC Juvenat. We want to continue with the program next school year and increase the number of girls participating from 17 to 25. For that to happen, however, we hope you will support us with a donation.

Will you help us score a goal and win this challenge?