Helping to heal a nation

"We had to find some way to distract ourselves and for many, that distraction was football."

2010 was a very traumatic year for everyone in Haiti. There was a lot of stress, and sadness, a lot of death, a lot of pain.

It’s hard to know what to do in a time like that. When so many people die.

When your loved ones die.

For the people of Haiti, we had to find some way to distract ourselves and for many, that distraction was football.

My name is Francesca Casseus, a young leader at GOALS Haiti in a place called Destra. I have watched an earthquake wreak havoc on my country and leave more than 200,000 people dead.

And I have seen how football has helped us to rebuild.

Now I teach a sexual education class over a six-month period each year, once a week in each of our three sites, and I do it through football.

That earthquake was pretty famous around the world in 2010, you probably remember it?

Well, to us, it was nothing short of devastating.

200,000 people left us. Just like that. And countless left with no homes.

In the aftermath many were left with nothing, and many with nothing to do.

Before being introduced to GOALS, there were few activities for us to do after school when it restarted. I would just go home, sit around, and wait for school to come around again.

When I think back it was a very lonely time.

My cousin (who was part of GOALS) brought me down after school one day. I didn’t really like or play football at that time, but just like I said, there wasn’t much else to do! Soon I fell in love with the game.

At first, I thought that GOALS was just a fun way to meet people and play some football, but it serves a much bigger purpose than that.

The organisation runs workshops on disease prevention such as AIDS, Cholera, and Dengue Fever. It also runs projects on health education and on sexual education.

Over the years I learned so much, and after I came through GOALS as a student, I knew I wanted to be involved and give back and began to volunteer.

Shortly after I was offered a role as a part-time employee. Then, in 2019, my dreams came through and I was hired full-time.

As a woman, this was extremely satisfying. Getting employment is tough around here, especially for women.

We are not afforded the same opportunities as men and are generally not respected as much in our communities. However, I have found that in my time with GOALS, attitudes towards women in Destra have improved.

I think that if people see someone like me in a leadership role, this will become more common, and more women will get the opportunities that they deserve.

While most people (unlike myself!) join GOALS for their love of football, it is the educational activities that provide an opportunity for positive change in the community

I appreciate the chance that I have been given to work for GOALS, and I hope my example inspires other people coming through the programme.

My sexual education class is designed to coincide with carnival season as there is generally increased sexual activity during this time.

In Haiti, the national average for teen pregnancy is 7%. In GOALS communities however, this figure is under 1% of the national average.

Over time my responsibilities within the organisation have increased. I’m not sure if I was always a natural leader but working with GOALS has certainly given me additional confidence to take on a leadership role within my community.

I’m glad that the game of football has given me this blessing.

From a football point of view, a lot of children that have come through the GOALS programme have gone on to represent Haitian National Youth Teams. In fact, 32 former players have gone on to represent youth teams, with 21 of them being females.

This is really encouraging, as it gives kids in our programmes the belief that there is a route to high level football, and the scholarships that come with playing at that level. The communities see the value of our work.

The vision of GOALS is not to be a school of footballing excellence, but I’m glad when I see one of my friends and neighbours doing well in the sport. All the kids play football with a huge smile on their face.

At any level, I think we play our best football when we are happiest.

In these communities, GOALS also offer literacy classes, as access to school is a hardship for many families. The literacy rate in Haiti is just over 60%.

We also offer training in horticulture to allow families to keep their own gardens and provide themselves with sustainable food sources. The response to these services are overwhelmingly positive, and they are helping to slowly improve life in post-earthquake Haiti.

One of the great things about GOALS Haiti is that former students – when possible – are given the opportunity to take on active roles in the organisation.

I can imagine a time when most of the full-time employees at GOALS are made up of former students.

While the football brings the kids in, it's through the coaching, mentoring, and education that we're seeing a real change. I’m really glad that it has become a centrepiece of the community and that I can help that in some way.

All these years later, Haiti has not completely recovered from the earthquake in 2010.

There is still a lot of rebuilding to do both physically and mentally. A lot of wounds still fresh.

But football has given the community real hope.

Personally, I feel pride and newfound security, and for that I am very grateful.

And for me? Well, football has allowed me to become a real leader in my hometown.

As long as I’m working with GOALS Haiti, I want to help my community rebuild as much as I can.