My name is Adam Rousmaniere. Just 8 weeks ago, I was an aspiring senior at Harvard who decided to do something a bit different for a summer. I had gained a place with Coaches across Continents and had a plane ticket to Malawi to teach and coach soccer to local coaches and kids. At the time, I didn’t understand how soccer could change the way people relate to the world. For those that know me, you know that I’m a guy that is not easily shaken by things. Over the past 2 months, I saw a 6-year-old girl participate in a session with her little brother on her back. I saw an orphaned 7-year-old boy, Isaac, speak to someone for the first time in weeks. I saw 800 aspiring young children jumping up and down in unison singing a song. I talked with local coaches and taught them games for HIV awareness. To say the least, I was shaken, many times. Two things are certain: 1) The experience has fundamentally changed my outlook on the world and 2) Coaches across Continents is making a real difference in the communities that we are working.
Now I'm asking for the support of the soccer community to help change lives in developing communities.
Over the past year, the Harvard Men’s Soccer team has built a strong friendship with Coaches across Continents, an organization founded and led by our own Nick Gates ’91. CaC’s unique agenda uses soccer as a means to teach children important life, health, and leadership sills. The organization installs 3-year programs, known as “Hat-Trick Initiatives,” into selected impoverished communities around the world. This “Hat-Trick Initiative” works like this:
Year 1: CaC sends trained coaches to communities to work with local teachers, coaches, and children.
Year 2: CaC sends more trained coaches back to the same site to oversee and assist with the progress of the cirriculum. Also, it funds local community coaches to train in the UK or US to gain valuable experience.
Year 3: CaC provides soccer and educational equipment to ensure the prolonged sustainability of the program.
In June, 2009, the “Hat-Trick Initiative” was proclaimed as the “Best New Project” in the world for sport and development at an awards ceremony hosted by Beyond Sport, which was attended by Tony Blair and Desmond Tutu. Already, the program has achieved success in India, South Africa and Tanzania. Since the founding of CaC in 2008, over 75 countries worldwide have requested its services. In 2009, programs began in Malawi and Zambia and, in the past 4 weeks, 18 new partnership requests have been received for 2010.
Harvard Soccer’s involvement with CaC stretches far beyond the Cambridge dormitories. Recent graduate David Williams ’07 and current player Adam Rousmaniere ’10 worked for 2 months in 3 different communities in Malawi. After receiving specialized training in the USA and South Africa, they worked tirelessly to educate local teachers and coaches, so they can better educate the locate children. In addition, they custom designed each curriculum so that it fit the needs of each particular region. After experiencing the success of the program first hand, it became clear to our players that there is a far-reaching demand and need for the services that CaC provides.
Our goal is to help CaC reach more communities around the globe. In order to do this, we need your help…
HOW TO DONATE
The program through which we are aiming to raise money is called Goals4Leaders. We hope to raise money every time the Harvard Men's Soccer Team scores a goal in the upcoming 2009 Fall Season. Our group hopes to raise $333 per goal scored.
Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support our fundraising efforts.
There are two ways to donate to the Goals4Leaders program.
1) Sponsor each Goal
2) Donate a fixed amount.
To SPONSOR EACH GOAL for any amount equal or more than $1 per goal please fill out the donation area as per the example:
Display Name: David Beckham
Date: April 23rd
Amount: $10
Comment: I would like to sponsor $10 a goal
At the end of the season, please come back to the page and donate your total amount based upon the number of goals that are scored.
If you would like to SPONSOR EACH GOAL for an amount less than $1 per goal, please fill out the donation area as per the example:
Display Name: Ronaldo
Date: April 23rd
Amount: $1
Comment: I would like to sponsor $0.75 (seventy five cents) per goal
(The minimum amount that can be filled in the Amount Box is $1 but at the end of the season you will donate $0.75 * number of goals).
At the end of the season, please come back to the page and donate your total amount based upon the number of goals that are scored.
To donate a FIXED amount, simply fill in the dollar figure in the AMOUNT section and in the comment section write FIXED amount.
The Coaches across Continents Donation Guarantee:
In 2009, every dollar donated to Coaches across Continents goes to fund our coaches traveling and working in developing communities.