Haiti

In January 2014 we launched our first Move Forward dance and basketball program ever in Kenscoff, a commune on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince in Haiti. Thanks to a crowd-funding campaign and staff who were willing to work on a voluntary basis, we were able to hold our first ever program. Move Forward partnered with the Haitian organization AJVPH and were supported by the staff of Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO).

The kick-off program ran for 10 days from 10 to 19 January at EFACAP, a local public school and was preceded from 6 to 9 January by train the trainer sessions. 100 Teenagers were recruited from 3 public schools by AJVPH. The Move Forward team consisted of 6 international MFH members, 5 local coaches, 25 local volunteers and 1 international filmmaker.

Outcomes

· 88 Teenagers out of the 100 who were invited to participate attended the program throughout. The other 12 were unable to attend the program every day.

· 5 Local coaches and 2 Dutch coaches participated in the train the trainers program.

· Together AJVPH and Move Forward’s international team have established a solid foundation as a result which AJPVH are in a position to continue the program in the future.

Conclusion

Move Forward’s kick-off program in Haiti was a success. The training environment fostered the values of teamwork, discipline and talent development. This and the overall focus on community building, empowerment, learning and fun led to all participants being provided with a variety of experiences they will not soon forget.

One month after the program ended participants were invited to evaluate it. They reported feeling proud of what they had achieved, that they had a better understanding of the discipline they were trained in and that they wished to continue dancing or playing basketball.

Goals and Objectives

The Goals and Objectives of the program included the following:

· To provide the highest quality training experience in dance and basketball.

· To provide a program that boosts the self-esteem of the participants, teaches them life skills and allows them to make friends in a safe, disciplined and fun environment.

· To increase the resilience, outlook and confidence of participants through self- expression and teamwork.

· To help our local partner AJPVH to build their capabilities so that they are able to assist us with any future programs.

· To support and build the capabilities of local coaches so that they are able to run creative and safe programs for local teenagers.

· To identify other Haitian initiatives which share Move Forward’s vision and are willing to support future programs in Haiti.

· To create efficient systems which incorporate best practices, policies and procedures which can be used as a reference guide in future programs.