It is March 2011, and the A Ganar program sponsored by USAID and IDB has been launched in Haiti, by LADH, with Boby Duval as its program director.  Partners of the Americas manages the A Ganar program worldwide, and chose LADH to be its partnering implementor when Haiti was approved for funding.   The program helps youths ages 16 to 24 develop job skills, entrepreneur skills and life skills using sport and soccer as the teaching medium.  L’Athletique D’Haiti received the honor of launching the program in Haiti.  The birthing of this project met with many challenges, but everyone involved had faith and perseverance.

Paul Teeple, the director of Partners of the Americas, recaps the odyssey of A Ganar’s debut in Haiti:

Haiti

• We began the year hoping that Haiti would be able to be included in new MIF funding for A Ganar.  And then everything changed….
• On January, the devastating earthquake stuck Haiti.  The Haitian government estimates that over 200,000 people have died as a result.
• The leader of our proposed coordinating organization, Boby Duval, happened to be in Washington at the time of the earthquake.  He immediately found a way home and began recovery and relief efforts.  L’Athletique d’Haiti (LADH), the organization founded by Boby, quickly became home to over 30,000 sleeping on their soccer fields.  Gradually, Boby and his staff have found other places for people to live allowing the youth in his community to once again have a place to play.
• In March we received the approval from MIF enables us to expand A Ganar there.
• In July, a group from LADH was returning from a day of volunteer work where they were clearing grounds for more fields and dormitories.  The truck carrying 25 or more people was struck by another truck.  11 people were killed and 14 people were injured.
• In August, LADH hosted the first A Ganar training of trainers event.  Over 75 people attended the workshops.
• A cholera epidemic hit Haiti in September/October.  LADH has set up a choleric clinic at its center.
• Through all of this LADH has stayed focused on starting A Ganar.  A new training of trainers event is scheduled for late January 2011.