Soccer & life skills for kids in Haiti - Season 2

Since the campaign for the second season started a lot happened in the Fútbol Más world in Haiti. We are happy to inform you about all the successes and new developments we observed in the last months.

First of all, we want to say thank you to all the donors, who helped us with their donations and at the same time showed us that they trust in our work. With your great support, you made it possible for us to continue our program in Haiti. The ones who most benefit from your donations are the 282 children of the two schools where we conduct our intervention: Divina Providencia and Du Bas Canaan.

In the beginning of January started the school year in Haiti and simultaneously our program at the schools.

Since the first steps of intervention in Haiti, Fútbol Más has worked within educational establishments, what is very different than working in neighborhoods. Therefore, as a team, we saw the need to insert other elements into the work plan and directly involve the teachers who live day by day in the classroom with the children of the project. Working together has not only been through training and workshops but also consider their views when defining the methodology of each league.

In order to reach the above, and to enhance the presence of the program in the school, a new pedagogical strategy was implemented in the first week of April. The target is that the Green Card has more presence in the classroom and is not only used on the football field. Through our program, and the green card, we aim to have children feel that there is a common link, between the school level, and the weekly reinforcement of their head teacher, we are also enhancing the climate and school culture, from the valuation of the positive. Although the students have internalized the methodology favorably, being able to make teachers visible as leaders who reinforce good practices is making small changes in a culture based on punishment and the resolution of conflicts through violence.From this methodology and new pedagogical initiatives, we hope to have teachers more committed, involved, internalized with methodology and empowered with their transforming role of societies.

In February, we had our third Fútbol Más Haiti league in the Olympic Center of Canaan between the two schools and one school of the Olympic Center. Under the slogan "A carnival, all the life" we experienced a great tournament where the children showed happiness in form of dances, songs and exciting football matches.

Watch this video to get a better impression of all the fun:

https://www.facebook.com/futbolmasorg/videos/10154259044440671/

Currently, 282 children are part of our weekly program in the schools. 118 young leaders are being trained in the Fútbol Más methodology of which 7 are already advanced. We always realize in different ways how important this work is for the children, the schools, the parents and the whole community. The kids make significant experiences for their life which helps them to gain self-esteem, responsibility and most importantly joy in their daily life. One boy told us at the tournament that he has to move to another country, but he didn’t want to go to a place where the Fútbol Más program doesn’t exist. He couldn’t imagine a life without Fútbol Más anymore and he is not the only one with this opinion. We want to ensure that more children in Haiti can be part of our program. To reach this we need your participation and support. Let´s work together for a better future of the children and happier communities in Haiti!

We want to conclude this report by sharing with you this testimony of August Job:

August Job is a little giant. With less than 1,50 m and 13 years of age, he is in 7th grade in the school of Divine Providence. He is the first monitor of his class and stands out for his serenity and responsibility he has for each task assigned to him.

Some time ago he began to participate as a leader in the training process of Fútbol Más and today he is already a prominent monitor that works together week to week with the tutors of the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade.

He told us his difficult history, a childhood with many adversities but today thanks to that he says he has the strength to learn from it and take learnings from his past.

Job says that his present is bright, being a teacher is not only positive for the children but also is he a beneficiary of the methodology, because he has learned many values to apply in his life and bring them to his community.

On his own initiative, he decided to take a piece of cardboard and paint it green, so he could have his own pedagogical tool and show the methodology to his neighbors ...

Every weekend, he joins the children of his neighborhood and makes workshops for Fútbol Más, where he says that for him the most important thing is to be able to work on his sport and psychosocial goals.

He is currently working on the subject of self-esteem with his "students/neighbors", telling them that the main thing to advance is to be able to know and value yourself as you are and with your own characteristics.

Job comments that being able to insert dance and singing in his classes has been a great contribution because that increases the participation.

He dreams of making a camp for young leaders and says he will fight to make that wish possible.

This little giant is giving us a daily life lesson; it shows us that the methodology can be transferred and reach every corner and that it is enough to look at the positive.

This little giant shouldn´t be measured by his one meter and 50 centimeters. With his motivating heart, he reaches the sky and helps others to reach it as well.

He always concludes his speeches by saying "I love you Fútbol Más".