Gressier, Haiti
The ground in front of the Jwa Timoun Yo children's home in Gressier, near Port-au-Prince, was rocky: Anyone playing soccer there got scrapes and sprains, and the balls did not last long. Today the children play on a SoccerGround Advanced with artificial turf.
"Jwa timoun yo" is Haitian Creole for "children's joy". The mission organization To All Nations e.V. built the home after the severe earthquake of 2010. Orphans and children in need find a home here, with classes, medical care and support.
The idea came from Emanuel Kettler, who had been living in Haiti with his family as a volunteer since early 2018. The German charity BILD hilft e.V. "Ein Herz für Kinder" (A Heart for Children) gave the field its main support. In the aerial photo, the children form a heart in the middle of the field.
The SoccerGround Advanced is freestanding and needs no foundations. It was assembled on site by the people there, and only a few days after the assembly began, the children and their caregivers celebrated the opening. Side and roof netting keep the ball in play, and the goals are 10' x 6.5'.
Product info: SoccerGround Advanced, side and roof netting, goals 10' x 6.5'