In 2011, Haiti was devastated by an earthquake that left many people in need of support in their everyday lives. The Centro Sportivo Italiano wanted to help by supporting sport and education for Haitian people in cooperation with social agencies and authorities. Through the use of volunteers, CSI has been able to improve lives by supplying sport, events and education through sport, teaching the values and bringing hope to communities. The project has helped build a community of sport, and support a group who believe that sport can educate and put people together for fun but also to share values, honour and culture.
In 2015 as part of its Serie A round of activities, Save the Dream, a programme of the International Centre for Sport Security, used its profile to promote for further volunteers to go to Haiti and help the cause. As a result, on 31 July 2015, 30 CSI volunteers arrived in Haiti and are currently working on projects to support sport.
The volunteers are helping to organise managed camp activities of football, volleyball and basketball, providing a welcome focus for children that are from disadvantaged areas including those without family or homes.
The project is giving hope to people of Haiti and providing an important legacy through sport – that supporting each other and staying together with a purpose can help achieve results.
Beyond providing volunteers to organise sports activities, CSI has commenced building sports facilities and also to train Haitians so that they are able to continue to rebuild sport in the country. The project is performed in close connection with the Haitian Government and together they created a National Day of Sport. This year with the support of Save the Dream the National Day of Sport celebrations will take place on 19th August.
Recently, ICSS President and founder of Save the Dream Mohammed Hanzab and Save the Dream Ambassador / captain of the Palestinian women’s football team Honey Thaljieh visited Haiti to see the work that is being done.
During the visit they were briefed on the progress of the camps and visited them to learn more about them, play football with the children and present medals.
At these camps the children play sport and then receive food and water.
Mohammed Hanzab said:
“We are very happy to be in Haiti working through the Save the Dream in conjunction with CSI. I am proud of this partnership working on the ground with children to inspire them and give them hope through sport. “
“By participating in sport they can have better health, education and confidence in themselves. “
“It is a very emotional experience to come here and feel the warm welcome and see the impact that the project is having. It is our mission to give access to sport to people who need it and in Haiti I enjoyed to see the reaction of the children when I played football with them and see the happiness it is giving them.”
“We are at the ICSS through the Save The Dream programme are spreading the message about the values and the purity of sport that need to be protected.”
“We will continue to look to work with like-minded organisations that believe we can contribute to making the lives of children better through sport as it is a powerful instrument.”
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