|
I was channel hopping last nite on TeleHaiti (cable) and I
caught the last 20 minutes of a program on HBO about Robert Duvall and his
wonderful program with kids teaching them soccer here in Haiti - mainly from
what I gathered, children from Cite soleil. He was born and raised in an upper
class family and was a soccer player in ?Prep School and then was imprisoned and
tortured for his beliefs under the Duvaliers. When he got out he decided to
commit his life to helping kids learn football. He found this waste ground which
over 3 yrs he had transformed into football playing fields and also basketball
courts - the latter for girls and boys, and he now has 300 kids in his program.
He's now divorced because of his work and he is totally committed to helping
with this program. He not only coaches them but feeds them once a day and gets
them some education. He relies on his elite friends to supply him with money (I
believe he said he needed US$16,000 a month to run the program) and also to help
with food and other stuff. His friend Stefan Coles (who I believe owned
Aquafine Water co.) helped him out with money and also water. He said his
friends don't yet believe in the program but they believe in him.
Bobby Duvall said like all Haitians, he was inspired when
Haiti got into the World cup and played against Italy and scored a goal, and he
said he thought that Football was one area where Haiti could show itself to the
rest of the world as having something of value.
It was a great program, something really positive about Haiti.
It was on the Bryant Gumbel Sports program and it was Frank something who
reported it. I'm sorry I'm vague but I only tuned into the last 20 minutes and
didn't get all the opening creds. Bryant G asked Frank if he thought Bobby
Duvall was a saint, but Frank said that he felt he was saintly, but a human
being above all. And Frank said in all the 67-8 countries he'd been to he had
never seen one so sad and needy as Haiti, and recently things had got even
worse. But he did say that this one soccer program was like a spark in the
dark!!
If anybody else saw the program and can add to it, please do,
as I would loved to have seen all of it.
Jacqualine Labrom ljacqui@haitiworld.com
Voyages Lumière 'Journeys for the enlightened
traveller'
|