On September 11, 2024, a shooting broke out during the final of a soccer competition between two Cité Soleil teams: the Boston team and the Simon Pelé team. The incident was reportedly triggered by a penalty awarded to the Boston team, at the expense of Simon Pelé, according to press reports.
Since its launch in 2007, the Olympique École de Football (OEF) has had a string of victories in Cité Soleil.
At least two players trained by this inner city center plagued by gang violence now play in clubs abroad, including Leverton Pierre and Roselord Borgela.
Attendance has tripled in nearly two decades.
The OEF now supports 300 young people, and applications for admission continue to rise following the successful final of a tournament organized in Cité Soleil by the institution, from July 13 to 27, 2024.
The project is intended to be ambitious.
E-Power U16 Tournament, Cité Soleil, July 2024. ©Olympique École Football – Fondaps
“We fight juvenile delinquency, we teach children to live in harmony and to avoid doing things that are harmful to society,” Stanley Jean François, technical director of the soccer school, explains to AyiboPost.
The Olympique École de Football is an initiative of the Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours Foundation (FONDAPS), established by Patrice Millet eighteen years ago.
We fight juvenile delinquency, we teach children to live in harmony and to avoid doing things that are harmful to society
Based in Port-au-Prince, FONDAPS supports children living in precarious situations by providing mentoring and education through sport in collaboration with the OEF.
Two players from the center, Leverton Pierre and Roselord Borgela, have obtained contracts abroad.
Pierre currently plays for Châteauroux, part of France’s National 1 league.
Before this experience, he played for the Union sportif du littoral de Dunkerque and the Union sportif d’Avranches. He played in two editions of the Gold Cup with the Haitian national team, in 2021 and 2023.
Borgela, 32, wore the colors of Le Havre AC in the French women’s championship during the 2023-2024 season. In July 2024, the native of Léogâne joined Fenerbahçe SK in Türkiye.
She was also one of the 23 Grenadières who defended Haiti during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Insecurity regularly hampers the soccer school’s three weekly training sessions.
E-Power U16 tournament, Cité Soleil, July 2024. ©Olympique École Football – Fondaps
“Sometimes we have to hide the children during clashes before returning them to their parents afterwards,” coach Lucner Jean reveals to AyiboPost.
256,000 inhabitants live in Cité Soleil over an area of 21.8 km². The 34 neighborhoods of the slum are subdivided into several blocks, each led by a gang leader.
According to United Nations estimates, children make up 30 to 50% of the armed groups, and are often forced to join these criminal associations.
Sometimes we have to hide children during clashes before returning them to their parents afterwards
On September 11, 2024, a shooting broke out during the final of a soccer competition between two Cité Soleil teams: the Boston team and the Simon Pelé team. The incident was allegedly triggered by a penalty awarded to the Boston team, at the expense of Simon Pelé, according to press reports.
For many young people living in this town, soccer is an escape.
“Before, I didn’t even know how to pass,” remembers Wensley Pierre, player at the Olympique École de Football.
Football was but a “distant dream” for the fifteen-year-old.
E-Power U16 tournament, Cité Soleil, July 2024. ©Olympique École Football – Fondaps
But since attending the OEF, he says he has learned to surpass himself. “If I wasn’t here, I don’t know what I would do with my life,” Pierre continues to AyiboPost. Soccer is what gives me hope, what keeps me moving forward.”
256,000 inhabitants live in Cité Soleil over an area of 21.8 km². The 34 neighborhoods of the bidonville are subdivided into several blocks, each led by a gang leader.
In several countries, soccer contributes to the development of a culture of peace and the fight against juvenile delinquency.
In El Salvador, more precisely in Zacatecoluca, one of the cities most affected by violence, a soccer school has managed to reduce delinquency by almost 90%, according to one of the officials cited by the World Bank.
In Colombia, the Fútbol con Corazón initiative has enabled more than 2,000 children from poor communities or communities exposed to violence to access new opportunities and develop the skills necessary to face adversity and live in peace.
There is still much work to be done to achieve similar results in Haiti, according to one of the OEF officials. Already, the organization has had to put an end to its educational support programs for young people, due to lack of financial support, declares Stanley Jean François.
It is imperative that young people living in neighborhoods controlled by armed groups benefit from psychological support, says Jeff Mattherson Cadichon, doctor of psychology.
E-Power U16 tournament, Cité Soleil, July 2024. ©Olympique École Football – Fondaps
“For the well-being of young people and their mental health, it is crucial to create a protective environment where they can flourish and have access to basic services, in order to promote their development,” specifies the psychologist.
Bullets continue to rattle in the commune of Cité Soleil, despite the announcement of a peace agreement between rival groups at the end of July.
Read also: Why is the renewal of the mandate of the FHF standardization committee a bonus for failure?
In an area where government inefficiency is prevalent, the Olympique École de Football wants to show that it is possible to open up better prospects for young people.
“It is important to finance civil society initiatives that use sport as a tool for social integration,” recommends sports attorney Nathan Laguerre.
Cover image: E-Power U16 tournament, Cité Soleil, July 2024. | ©Olympique École Football – Fondaps
► AyiboPost is dedicated to providing accurate information. If you notice any mistake or error, please inform us at the following address : hey@ayibopost.com
Keep in touch with AyiboPost via:
► Our Channel Telegram : Click here
► Our Channel WhatsApp : Click here
► Our Community WhatsApp : Click here
Comments