Generation Amazing has announced a partnership with the charity, CORE, to bring its football for development programme to children in Haiti, extending its reach beyond Asia and the Middle East to the Americas.
The programme will benefit 375 boys and girls from three Port-au-Prince schools within the CORE network – the Institution Mixte de l’Espoir, Ecole Primaire Bethlehem and School of Hope, located in the area of Delmas, according to a report on the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) website.
The announcement was made at CORE’s annual gala fundraiser in Los Angeles, California, US. The gala was attended by CORE founder and actor Sean Penn, who started the charity following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti to develop relief efforts and a network of support for devastated communities.
To activate the partnership, a delegation of Haitian representatives, including teachers nominated by CORE, attended the recent Generation Amazing Festival 2019 in Doha, where they were trained on how to deliver the programme in schools across the Haitian capital.
Generation Amazing aims to use football as a development tool to bring about change in the lives of youth, while focusing on promoting a healthy awareness of issues relating to self-esteem, violence, abuse and conflict resolution among Haitian children, the report states.
Hassan al-Thawadi, Secretary-General of the SC, said: “We are proud and excited to be joining hands with Sean Penn and CORE as we develop our unique Generation Amazing football for development methodology in Haiti. This is a significant milestone as we expand the reach of Generation Amazing to a new region and continent.
“The vision of Generation Amazing stems from the belief that football, and the FIFA World Cup in particular, has a much more significant role beyond a sporting event. It has the potential to develop and nurture leadership skills, unify communities and ultimately improve people’s lives.”
Speaking about the partnership, CORE COO Jerome Lebleu said: “Our partnership with Generation Amazing is a perfect match because we share the same values in terms of empowering the youth that we work with and enriching their lives.”
At the CORE gala auction, Generation Amazing and the SC donated photographic artworks, combining Qatari design elements by artist Shouq al-Mana with Michael Muller photography, as well as a FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020 experience, with all proceeds going to Haiti. 
The gala, which raised almost $5mn for CORE relief programmes, also featured a Generation Amazing activity booth where guests could interact with the Generation Amazing journey. 
Qatar’s ambassador to the US Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani was present on the night alongside Generation Amazing Programmes director Nasser al-Khori. 
Haiti is the ninth country the programme has reached on its mission to use the power of sport and football to change lives. The programme also operates currently in Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Nepal.
Generation Amazing is the human and social legacy programme initiated during Qatar’s successful bid for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in 2010, which uses the power of sport to positively impact lives and create sustainable social development in communities.
One can stay tuned to @GA4Good on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates on Generation Amazing in Haiti.
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