PROJECT HAITI
Together We Raised $25K to Build A Soccer Field For the Haitian Community
Institut Edeline is a free Pre-K to 7th-grade school that serves 200 children and has made a major positive impact on the community of Croix des Bouquet, Haiti since the devastating earthquake of 2010. Together the clubs of Surf Nation will be enabling Institut Edeline to take the next step in supporting these children and the community by building a turf field for them and providing 10 years of sports equipment, coaching & leagues. The field, equipment and leagues will be at the heart of a more complete life for the students, and also be available to 1,000’s of other local children and create jobs for locals.
Dream it.
The children at Institut Edeline love soccer, it is an escape from the Haitian reality. Haiti is the poorest county within North and South America and Caribbean nations. ~ 60% of Haitian’s live below the poverty level. A child born today in Haiti will grow up to be only 45% as productive as if he or she had enjoyed a full education and basic health opportunities.
Build a “field of dreams.”
Surf’s mission is to create the best experiences and opportunities for kids. We take this mission to heart and when we found the opportunity to build a field for these kids we jumped at it. Currently, these students are playing on an inadequate space- an uneven, dirt area with spots of grass, which is littered with rocks. This field will allow hundreds of kids who can’t attend Institut Edeline to play soccer on a field as well.
Let them play.
With a turf field that requires no additional maintenance, the community can establish a local soccer league at Institut Edeline and bring the surrounding community together as a team. This field will be a place of community where everyone can gather and have fun. There will be bleachers for parents, adults, and other kids to watch. Sports are a necessity to physical and mental well-being and build many life skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship.
Surf’s mission is to create the best experiences and opportunities for kids, when asking your club to donate think of the incredible impact that we can make while working together as Surf Nation.
To bring Institut Edeline’s “Field of Dreams” to reality, we are working together with all the clubs in Surf Nation to raise $50,000. Each club is responsible for raising $1,000. Let’s go Surf!
ABOUT INSTITUT EDELINE
In 2010, a catastrophic 7.0M earthquake hit Haiti, taking hundreds of thousands of casualties, and leaving over 3 million people wounded, homeless, and impoverished. And although many countries came forward with humanitarian aid, many children were left orphaned and homeless, with no hope for the future.
Edeline Felizor, a survivor of the earthquake, was left crushed under rubble with life-threatening injuries. But to this Haitian teacher and nurse, the children who were left orphaned and homeless were far more devastating than anything she had endured. “My dream has always been to help children. I want to do that through a school that will give hope to the poorest children in Haiti,” said Edeline. So in 2011, Project Edeline was born with the help of a few new friends from San Diego.
Under the umbrella of Youth Without Borders, Project Edeline gives the children of Haiti a chance for a brighter future. Funded completely by sponsors, the elementary school located in Beudet provides education, clean water, food, and healthcare to children in need. And beyond improving the lives of the children, Project Edeline works towards restoring economic hope and stability for the country.