Annual Summer Soccer, Reading, and Feeding Camp For 1500 Under-Served Children and Marginalized Youth in Haiti https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2019/annual-summer-soccer-reading-and-feeding-camp-for-1500-under-served-children-and-marginalized-youth-in-haiti https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Annual Summer Soccer, Reading, and Feeding Camp For 1500 Under-Served Children and Marginalized Youth in Haiti

Additional Information
Used for	We will use the fund to implement a wide range of sport, feeding, and education programs that are designed to assist in the holistic development of youth and aid them academically and socially. This program harnesses the power of sports, nutrition, and reading to effect positive change in under-served communities, enhances the social and emotional development of children, and increases their ability to communicate effectively and work well within a team. We integrate girls and boys in the same activity so that they can learn about gender equality and mutual respect for opposite genders. Our sport development program also increases the self-confidence of children, empowering them to take up leadership roles within their communities and to resolve conflicts peacefully.
Benefits	The program will benefit disadvantaged children who are left behind. These underprivileged children will get a meaningful learning experience through this critical summer enrichment program. This program also reduces childhood obesity and increases physical activity. It breaks social barriers in communities and helps young leaders emerge. We have reached over 16,000 children through our Camp in the past 10 years, which is a collaborative and locally-driven approach to sport for social change. Participants improve social skills, including self-confidence and communication skills. It increases corporation among students and teachers, improves reading scores, helps participants become better leaders and decreases violent behavior.
Proposal Description	The district of Port-Salut, Haiti, contains more than 63,278 inhabitants according to the latest survey by the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics (IHSI) of 2009, more than 60% of this population is under 25 years old. Youth delinquency is a major problem, partly attributed to the lack of recreational activities or programs in the city. To observe the problems of youth in the Port-Salut, one simply needs to go to the streets and observe the army of youth wandering around jobless. These youths face many challenges including extreme poverty, natural disasters that prevent their families from properly care for them, as most families struggle to meet their basic needs. In effect, these youths are living a life of idleness in a country torn by division, social inequality, extreme poverty, economic disparity, and gripped in political gridlock.  Despite facing severe adversities, few of these youths receive the supports and resources they need to cope and succeed. These youths are marginalized and are extremely vulnerable to the influence of gangs, violence, alcoholism, and prostitution. These challenges also negatively affect the overall social and economic community development. Often, corrupt politicians take advantage of these youths’ vulnerability and use them to create instability by burning tires on the streets and destroying public institutions and private businesses to advance their political ambitions. And we know, as the old saying goes, “idleness is the mother of all vices. To assist, Reunion Sportive develops a Youth Development program, which uses sports and education to develop life skills and increase knowledge in children and teenagers so that they are well equipped to meet their daily challenges. Our Youth Development program is not purely academic in nature, but it incorporates concepts and skills to enhance the youth’s educational and social development. Our program revolves around soccer but also includes: ¥ Daily meals ¥ Reading and writing ¥ Folkloric dancing ¥ Organize regular sports and play activities in schools and communities to give children the opportunity to learn life skills, such as self-confidence, communication, and leadership outside the classroom. ¥ Leadership and Self-Discipline teaching ¥ Community service and volunteerism ¥ Youth mentorship programs ¥ Health and civic education ¥ Conflicts resolution and human rights seminars ¥ Advocate for healthy and positive learning environments by ensuring that environment-related health risks are minimized or avoided altogether.