“We want to empower our communities to help themselves and breadfruit is the perfect solution . . . And it’s delicious!” – Kathy McAllister
Kathy McAllister is Executive Director of GOALS Haiti (Global Outreach And Love of Soccer). GOALS was founded in 2010 in Leogane (a coastal town less than 20 miles west of Port-Au-Prince) after the devastating 2010 earthquake.
Its mission is to utilize youth soccer to bring education, life skills and leadership development to rural areas. Almost 400 kids ages 7 – 18 come daily to each of their 3 sites for purposeful play, a daily meal, literacy classes, tutoring, health education, leadership classes, community gardening, and gender-based violence defense training. It is a holistic hand-up vs hand-down effort engaging youth to be leaders and active in community development.
Kathy, who is fluent in Haitian Creole, has worked in Haiti over 20 years, first with the Peace Corps in 2002. When volunteers were evacuated after only 6 months, Kathy chose to stay. She started her own non-profit, Sustainable Haiti, in 2003. In 2016 she joined GOALS, committed to long-term multigenerational change engaging young people and their families. Today 14 alumni are on staff paying it forward while illustrating the program’s success.
GOALS and Trees That Feed
In addition to all of this, GOALS has three tree nurseries located next to each of their community gardens. Children and youth learn about caring for tree seedlings, planting, and the importance of trees for the environment and as a local important food source. To date over 6,000 trees have been planted! 80% of the trees are food-bearing (Breadfruit, Avocado, Mango, Papaya, Grapefruit, etc.) planted in their communities as well as in other areas.
Trees That Feed first donated breadfruit trees to GOALS in 2019. They started producing fruit in 2023. This year GOALS hosted a celebration focusing on breadfruit to demonstrate its versatility. It was prepared by roasting, frying, boiling, juicing, making soup, and making fritters. The kids are now saying they LOVE breadfruit!
TTFF has donated hundreds of breadfruit trees to GOALS and would like to support more breadfruit events educating the communities how to take advantage of what’s already there. Breadfruit can ease their food challenge.
Kathy puts it perfectly, “It’s one of our goals to increase local food production, and breadfruit is a natural fit.” Trees are an investment that pays off!
This is a guest blog by Judy Osgood. A retired educator, Judy has been a dedicated volunteer with Trees That Feed Foundation since our inception. Thank you, Judy!
