Meet Caroline

My name is Caroline and I am from Chapel Hill, North Carolina where I have lived my entire life. I am 13 years old and currently in the 8th grade. I have played soccer ever since I was 4 and usually play center midfield. Outside of soccer, I also play field hockey and basketball. In school I don't really have a favorite subject, I like them all the same. I have two awesome siblings, an older sister and a younger brother. When I grow up, I want to become a professional soccer player, or possibly a marine biologist although I am very scared of fish. When I'm not playing sports, I love hanging out with friends, family and my two dogs Bubba and Wishbone. I also love singing, but unfortunately I've been told that I shouldn't quit my day job for it. I am so excited for this opportunity to go to travel to Peru! I am overjoyed at the thought that I could make a difference in someone's life. I can't wait to learn more about the culture in Peru and what life is like for girls my age living there.

Meet Emma

My name is Emma and I am a freshman. I’ve lived in Durham, NC my entire life and have an older brother who’s a senior in high school applying to many colleges. When I’m not playing soccer, I’m playing piano, singing with my school A cappella group, hang out with friends, or spend time at my lake house. I’m a very laughable and happy girl and am known to laugh at things that are simply not funny. However, I have learned when it’s time to focus and when it’s okay to be silly. Because I have had countless ankle injuries, I have spent a lot of time with physical therapists, resulting in my strong interest in physical therapy. My schedule can be hard to balance between difficult schoolwork, piano, school/club soccer, maintaining friendships, but behind school soccer has continued to be my number one priority.

I am currently on the TUSA ’97 girls gold team and have played soccer for 11 years, starting at age 3 (assuming 3-year old soccer is as competitive as it gets). I put all of my effort into soccer and dream to play professionally in the future. The last year of soccer has been an extremely challenging yet motivating one. I’ve been switched around from a couple of teams but I am now on the best team I could ask for. A close friend of mine who plays Triangle United soccer as well went to Spain last year with his team to play soccer. Since then, I’ve been wishing for a chance to go abroad to play soccer. I cannot wait to experience going to Peru, making use of my knowledge of Spanish, teaching and making friends with girls we meet, and of course playing the sport I love.

Meet Brynn

My name is Brynn and I am in 8th grade. I have two older sisters. I have been playing soccer since I was about 3 years old. My position is usually left midfield and I am number 11. I have mostly always been that number! I’m also a big fan of pets. When someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up, I automatically think of being a professional soccer player. Besides soccer, I also play basketball. My favorite subject is definitely Math. If I have to pick, my favorite food would probably be spaghetti.

I am so excited for this wonderful opportunity to go to Peru because I think it is going to be fun to interact with, not only the different languages, but the people. This will be an experience I will never forget. I’m so excited to make new friends in Peru and to mix our different cultures together. I’ve always loved to help out and interact with other people!

Program Planning on its Way!

Last weekend, Goals for Girls and Girl Sport Works met together to discuss the programmatic details of this year's project in Cusco, Peru. We are so excited to tell the team about the young girls they will be meeting at the various schools we will be volunteering at and visiting.



To learn more about Girl Sport Works and the amazing work they do, please go to: http://www.girlsportworks.org/

Meet Chloe

Hi, my name is Chloe. I am in the eighth grade, and my favorite subject in school would probably have to be Language Arts. I have been playing soccer since I was five years old! When I grow up I want to become a Professional and National soccer player! But first I definitely want to play some serious soccer in college, preferably at UNC.

I am extremely excited for this trip to Peru because 1. I love to help people, and even more fun add in soccer! 2. I have never been out of the country, so this is my first HUGE trip away from home! My heroes are for sure my parents; I admire them so much even though it doesn’t seem like it sometimes. I also have two other heroes, and that’s Cindy Parlow (my awesome coach) and Mia Hamm, I mean why wouldn’t they be my role models? They have done everything I aspire to do with the rest of my life! Not only that, but without them women’s soccer would still be overlooked.

My favorite food is probably rice, because I have to eat it so much but it’s also a very flexible food and you can put many things in it! All of the soccer numbers that I have ever had are 10, and then I had had 3 for my number for 6 years and then now I am number 9! Some info about my family is that we’ve moved a lot. My dad’s job moves around. Also, my little brother has Aspergers which is a type of Autism but he is like any other little brother to me. I don’t really have that many hobbies but I love reading, learning and smiling/laughing. I am definitely a very happy and an optimistic “glass half full” kind of person. My mother says I was born smiling. I think this trip is going to be amazing and I can’t wait to make new friends in Peru!!!!

Meet Chelsie

My name is Chelsie. I am 13 years old and I have played soccer ever since I was 3 years old. I am in the 8th grade. My dad signed me up for many sports, but soccer was the only one that I really enjoyed. Soccer is my life and without it I don’t think I would be complete. In my spare time my other hobbies are playing my trumpet, drawing, sewing, reading, and running. Soccer is by far the one thing I love the most.

Our family loves community work. We do at least two activities a month to help the less fortunate through feeding the homeless and hungry at our church Samaritan Shelf or visiting the elderly in Rest Homes. The elderly love to hear the songs and scriptures. Church is an important part of my life, I have a lot of faith and belief in Jesus. I look to him for guidance in everything that I do. I love helping people and now I have the opportunity to put two of my favorite things together, to accomplish a mission. I’ve always wanted to travel other parts of the world, besides the East coast of North America. My future will involve a lot of traveling.

My career goals are to become a professional soccer player or a famous talk show host. My career areas involve dealing with people. I love to help people and seeing the smiles on their faces, it brings me joy in knowing that I helped them out.

I believe if you really want something you will do everything in your power to get it and that includes working extra hard at the goals you set. Some people are given more than others, while others have less, but we are all equal in God’s eyes.

Meet Lauren

Lauren was born in San Antonio, Texas on October 30, 1997. Shortly after being born, she moved to NC to live with her adoptive family. She is currently an 8th-grade student. Her favorite subjects are art, math, and Spanish.

Lauren has one brother, a rabbit named Bella, and a dog named Maxine. In her spare time, Lauren paints, draws, and does other visual arts.

Meet Morgan

My name is Morgan Brandewie. I am 14 years old and currently in 8th grade. I have lived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for my whole life. I have one sibling, an older brother who is currenly attending the University of South Carolina at Columbia! My favorite subjects in school are definitely Language Arts and Social Studies. I enjoy spending time at the beach. One oif my favorite beaches to go to is Wrightsville Beach, NC. My favorite quote is "Live, Laugh, Love." I like this quote because it is a great motto to live by. Live life to the fullest, laugh untill you cry from laughing so hard and love your friends and family and keep them close to your heart. '

When I am not in school I spend my free time either hanging out with my friends or playing soccer! I have been playing soccer for Triangle United since I was about 8 years old. On our team I play center defender. My dream is to play soccer for the University of North Carolina and eventually play for the U.S. National soccer team.

Meet Addie

Hi! My name is Addison Galloway, but everyone calls me Addie. I just turned 14 and I am a “FRESHI” (aka. freshman) in high school. I have played soccer since I was four years old and I am in my 6th year of competitive soccer. I love it! In addition to playing with my TUSA team, I am planning to tryout for my high school soccer team in February. I have played many positions over the years, from goalie, to central and outside defender, to my favorite and current position of central mid-fielder. At some point, I would like to try playing outside mid-fielder.

I am in my third year with a local Teen Council, where I volunteer at local events, such as Friday Night Babysitting, local marathons, senior BINGO, Senior Center cleaning, timing swim meets, manning park boats, or even spreading mulch for the swim center. I also love children and began babysitting last year.

Some of my favorite things to do are hang out with my friends, eat and of course…. shop! Did I mention, I love to eat? I collect finger nail polish; there are so many cool colors! In the summer, I love wakeboarding and tubing! I enjoy spending time with my mom, dad and brother where we often ride bikes, play games, golf or just hangout and watch a movie.

I have never been outside of the U.S., so I am extremely excited about the opportunity to go to Peru. I am anxious to meet the girls there and learn more about them.

Meet Alyssa

Hi, my name is Alyssa and I live in New Hill, North Carolina. I have been playing soccer since I was seven years old. I am a right outside midfielder and my soccer number is 21. I am in seventh grade and my favorite subject is math. I have an older sister who also plays soccer. I also like to ride horses and be outside at the beach and on boats. What makes me happy is to play soccer and spend time with my family and friends. When I grow up I want to be a teacher for children with medical illnesses that are unable to attend school. When I was younger I spent a year going to Duke Children’s Hospital and this has inspired me to want to work with sick children. My dream is to play soccer at either UNC Chapel Hill or Duke. I am so excited for this trip because I love to help people and I will get to experience a new culture. I have never been out of the country before so I am looking forward to that experience.

Meet Sarah

My name is Sarah and I'm in the ninth grade at Northern High School. I've played for Triangle United since I was nine (began playing soccer at age 4) and I'm currently on the TUSA '97 gold team. I play striker as well as center mid and I'm number 14. When I grow up, I'm not sure what I want to be yet but it will definately be some sort of doctor because I love helping people. Aside from soccer, I also swim for our local summer swim team and I started swimming for our high school this year. At school, my favorite subject is math and I'm looking forward to taking the sports medicine classes. I have two younger sisters that I love to death and a dog, Jack. I have so many favorite foods but I love macaroni the most. This year, I'm so excited to go to Peru because it will be my first time going out of the country and we get to go as a team so I'll have friends to share the experience with.

Meet Maggie

Maggie, born April 10, 1998, lives in Chapel Hill, NC. She was born in Neenah, WI, moved to Minneapolis, MN when she was 6 months old and moved to Chapel Hill when she was five. She is currently an 8th-grade student at Culbreth Middle School in Chapel Hill. In addition to playing club soccer for Triangle United, Maggie runs Cross County, plays basketball and runs track.

In her freetime, Maggie loves to read. Her favorite books include any of the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games series. Maggie has two sisters and one brother and a dog named Boone.

Meet Lexi

Hi! My name is Lexi and I was born on March 17th, 1998. I am in the eighth grade. I have been playing soccer for as long as I can remember, which is probably since I was about five years old. I can play any defensive position or outside midfield. Outside of soccer I also play Field Hockey and Basketball for my school. When I am not playing sports, I like to be with my friends or at my lake house. I love wakeboard and water ski while I am there. I am very excited for this trip to Peru because it will be a wonderful chance for me to expand my horizons and go to new places and meet new people, and also to work on my spanish.

Meet Mia

My name is Mia, I am fourteen years old and have been playing soccer since I was five. Along with playing soccer I play field hockey, horseback ride, and downhill ski. When I am not playing sports, I like to read, and spend time with my friends and my dog. I also love to travel. I have spent a lot of time in Ecuador and understand the conditions in Peru. This past summer in Ecuador I played a lot of pickup soccer and I was the only girl who played. The first time I went out to play nobody thought I would be any good and everyone was laughing about it. But then they realized that I could actually play and they respected me. When we were on the field, I was not just a girl but someone equal to them. This is one reason I am so excited about going to Peru. I want to help the girls in Peru gain notice and respect in their communities and we can do this through something my team and I love, soccer.

Meet Benedikte

I am in 9th grade and my favorite subject is English. I have played soccer for 11 years and I am a goalkeeper (number of 00). My favorite food is Chinese and favorite movie is “She’s the Man”. My hero is Hope Solo.

My family is from all over the world. My dad lived in Zimbabwe until he went to high school. My grandfather also lived in Zimbabwe and went to the same boarding school as my dad. My mom lived in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Hawaii, Denmark and New Jersey. She went to the same High school as her dad once he moved to Switzerland. Her brother and sisters were born in Switzerland just like me. One of my brothers was born in Denmark.

I am excited to go on this trip because I will be helping people my age and able to teach them soccer, which is one of my favorite things to do. I am excited about this experience and am glad that I will be a part of it.

Meet Lakin

Lakin is a member of the Triangle United (TUSA) U14 Gold Team. She has been playing for TUSA since 2005 and soccer for as long as she can remember. She is an 8th grader in Durham, NC.

Lakin loves to play soccer because of the physical nature of the game and because she gets to play with all her friends. She hopes to play for UNC someday and to eventually make the USA Olympic soccer team. Her favorite soccer player is Casey Nogueira.

Lakin also likes to play field hockey and basketball. In her free time, she likes to either hang-out with friends or watch her favorite TV show, Toddlers and Tiaras.

Introducing the Goals for Girls 2012 Team....

We are happy to introduce to you the Triangle United (TUSA) U14 Gold Team from Chapel Hill, North Carolina who will be joining Goals for Girls for this year's program in Cusco, Peru. They will be led by their coach, former Olympic Gold Medalist and FIFA World Cup Winner Cindy Parlow, along with Ian Oliver and Jackie Skinner from the Goals for Girls Staff.

The 15 TUSA players are:

Maggie

Lexi

Caroline

Emma

Mia

Benedikte

Lakin

Allyssa

Addie

Chloe

Sarah

Lauren

Chelsie

Brynn

Morgan

We invite you to join us in learning more about these 15 girls and their journey in making this epic journey possible.

Stay tuned!

Goals for Girls Peru in 2012

We have an exciting anouncement!


Goals for Girls is sending a North Carolina based soccer team to Cusco, Peru for the 2012 program. G4G has partnered with Girl Sport Works and together are planning an incredible program to continue the efforts of improving the lives of adolescent girls throught sport.



Stay tuned for the most up to date developments.

Goals for Girls joins the Global Women's Network

The Global Women's Network is the wikipedia of women's and girl's organizations operating around the world. Check out the Goals for Girls profile here.

Goals for Girls Travels to Tajikistan

In July, Ian Oliver and Jackie Skinner traveled to Tajikistan on behalf of Goals for Girls to participate in the International Sports Programming Initiative of Tajikistan (ISPIT), a program funded by the US State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by American Councils of International Education.
They traveled alongside Brian Cognato of Peaceplayer's International and Dr. Iradge Ahrabi-Fard of Northern Iowa University. Together and alongside 8 Tajik sport coaches, they held a 10 day overnight clinic for 38 coaches throughout the country in the town of Khujand.
Session topics included:

• Nutrition


• How to start sports programs from the bottom up


• Fundraising


• Sport-specific trainings


• How sport can bridge cultural and ethnic divides


• Goalsetting


• Teambuilding


• Incorporating lifeskills into sports


• Coaching ethics


• How to increase community support


• Gaining parental support


• Importance of physical education


• And MUCH more

Ian and Jackie focused specifically on increasing the participation of girls in sports throughout the country. They led a session that included a discussion on the benefits of girls participation in sports, followed by identifying the obstacles girls in Tajikistan face that prevent this participation. As a camp, they all further discussed the "how to" behind getting more girls involved in sports.

Zebuniso Rustamova, a three time world champion in archery and a huge advocate of female sports in Tajikistan, furthered this conversation by relating it to the local context.

One camp day, everyone went to observe a "success story" that was implemented at a small school in a rural town called "Girls on the Run." We visited with the coaches and administrators that implemented this program and met with the young girls that were eager to tell us about it. It served as a great model of what is possible with limited funds and passionate hearts. While visiting "Girls on the Run", Zadina, one of our Tajik coaches, led some games with the young girls, and also discussed how she was anxious to implement a similiar program in her region.

If one picture could illustrate the change occuring in Tajikistan, and the opportunity and potential this change is giving girls in relation to sports, it is the one below.

One of the coaches we worked with received notification that he was awarded with a grant that will include creating the first ever girls soccer league (amongst many other things). Goals for Girls is looking forward to working on this project.

4-10-10

Yesterday was the first real day of soccer. We all traveled over to the Football for Hope Center in the middle of Khayelitsha. Each team played in a preliminary tournament in preparation for the big culminating event today. We also participated in more the skillz curriculum, dribbling around the obstacles in life that can lead to HIV/AIDS, avoiding sugar mommies and sugar daddies, multiple partners, and drugs and alcohol. We popped balloons to learn about teamwork, and watched a video about the necessity of getting tested. The music blasting from the Football for Hope Center and the soccer games on the field, drew a huge crowed of local men and boys, all hanging on the outside of the field, watching us play. It was amazing to see how much soccer means to this community. Despite all the hardships that they face in Khayletisha, whenever these men were watching soccer a smile lit up there face. I am very excited to see how today's soccer/health fare will affect the community, to see how many will come, and how many will get tested.

4-8-10: South Africa and Namibia Take Over!

Here are a few reactions from the girls at Girlz Got Skillz about our tour around Khaylitsha, the local township that most of the South African girls live in:

"Khayelitsha was so nice! And we saw many places such as the Magistrate Courts and we even ate a meat called Umbengo. My favorite part when we went to the tour guides house and saw his room and all his cycling medals. "-Siphosethu, South Africa

"I liked the fielld where we were playing soccer and we were eating and when we climbed up and saw all of Khayelitsha" "The meat was so nice" -Kema and Natalia, Namibia

"I liked it because we eat meat that we like and we eat breads. We walked around and saw how the city looked like and we even saw some different tribes. It's different from Namibia because there we don't have such buildings, and we have bushes there. And we don't really see those big buildings like we saw in Khayelitsha. I have learned a lot because in some of the areas in my country in Namibia, I have never been to the hills and I have never seen the ocean, and even some of the animals are different here and I have never seen them, like the squirrel." -Elise, Namibia

Here are a few reactions about Greenpoint Stadium, the 2010 Fifa World Cup Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa:

"I liked the stadium of the soccer a lot. Because, it's a new building, it's very big, not like ours in Namibia. There's many seats, so there are a lot of levels. So, I just want to say that it was nice to meet nice friends from America. It's nice to share stories with each other. Take care all, love you!" -Nalooliwa, Namibia

"We liked the way we built it and the grass was beautiful." "The lights were really cool too." -Kema and Natalia, Namibia

More to come from the American girls. Stay tuned! In the meantime, here's a picture from earlier in the trip:

Presenting our slide show about the Resiliency Race. It was great to watch the faces of the Namibians and South Africans as we showed them the fun animations and styles of PowerPoint.

Yesterday we all took part in the Resiliency Race, a scavenger hunt around Cape Town. Each team went their separate ways, with a Grassroots Soccer coach as a chaperone. We took pictures of hospitals, government buildings, and parks. The most interesting part, however, was interviewing people on the street about their reactions to the 2010 World Cup. Although many were excited for the country, a few were upset. They fervently argued their case, stating that the government money spent on the stadiums and on the promotion of the World Cup, could better be spent building houses and schools. That afternoon, each team put together a PowerPoint presentation and presented it for a group of influential Cape Townians. The purple team WON!

4-5-10: The Girl in the Green

Today we were shoved back into reality. After four lovely days of relaxation and touring, we entered the real world today as we arrived at the sports school to meet our South African and Namibian counterparts. After dumping our bags, we all walked together into the cafeteria where we were immediately taken in by the smiles and good cheer of the South Africans. They welcomed us to their tables, quickly drawing us into conversations about our lives, our schools, our families. After settling in, we all went to the field, split into teams, and played our first real games of soccer in South Africa. At lunch, communication had at points been an issue. On the soccer field, however, all of that disappeared.
One girl especially held my attention. Dressed all in green, her smile stood out because it was one of the largest. At every event, whether it was on the field, or in the classroom discussing HIV/AIDS, she participated to the best of her ability. For any question, she would have an answer. For any tricky soccer move, a resounding tackle. I have the honor of being on her team, and through two conversations, I have been able to learn about her life, about her four brothers and sisters, her two dogs, and her favorite subjects in school. If the girl in the green is any example of how this week is going to progress, then I have high hopes for the days to come.

4-5-10: Penguins, Baboons, and Ostriches

Windswept was the word of the day for April 4th. Animals were the main attraction. We started out our day with a beautiful drive over and through the Silver Mine Mountains. Huge peaks rose up on either side, and valleys stretched below. We were headed to Cape Point, the southern-most point in Africa. On the way, we stopped in Simon’s Town to visit the penguins. Clustered together in their holes, or strewn about along the beach, they were perhaps some of the cutest things I have ever seen. The best part for most of us was being able to walk just an arm’s reach away and stare intently at their funny feet or their beaks. Later on during the drive, passing through a narrow stretch of road on the side of a cliff, signs started popping up announcing things like, “Baboons are dangerous animals” and “Do NOT feed the baboons.” And all of a sudden, the baboons themselves appeared. Families of baboons perched precariously on the side of the cliff, looking into car windows and begging for food. And on the last stretch of drive to Cape Point, ostriches populated the side of the road, strutting in front of the cars and bobbing their heads in the grass.
When we finally reached Cape Point, my breath was blown away with the wind. The cliffs went straight into the sea, and the huge waves came crashing down on the rocks below. We hiked to the lighthouse on the top of the cliff, staring over the ocean to where we thought was Antarctica. The kilometers to different cities were listed on a pole, telling us that New York City was around 12000 kilometers away. For many of us, 12000 kilometers is the farthest away from home we have ever been.

4-5-10: A Word from the Girls

I asked each girl to describe the trip so far in one word. Here is what we got:

Brilliant
Eye-Opening
Overwhelming
Colorful
Unreal
Breathtaking
Inspiring
Different
Bulbous

Soccer near the Ocean

This past afternoon we played in a local pick-up soccer game near the ocean with local Cape Townians. DC and NC girls vs. Cape Town Boys. Goals for Girls won 4-3! We were very excited to play with some of the local people, especially in such a beautiful setting. According to the NC girls they were, "hilarious and friendly people!" We're hoping to play them again tonight.

4-4-10: Days 1 and 2

I think that I can sum up some our first two days here for all of the girls by saying that, so far, everything has been utterly surreal. No matter how many times we say, “We’re in Africa!” for all of us, nothing has really sunk in. From experiencing the nightlife on the water in Cape Town to driving through beautiful wine county on the way to a Safari, it seems like we’re in someone else’s life.
For the past two days we’ve been living the good life in Cape Town, riding the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain, taking a tour of Robben Island to see the cell Nelson Mandela spent so much of his life in, and stopping to let elephants cross the road while watching rhinos drink from a pond. Today, however, I think many of us (certainly those who were awake on the drive to and from the safari) finally had our eyes opened to what we will be facing in the week ahead. As we drove through the beautiful Paarlberg Mountains, vineyards streaming by on either side, we got our first look at the crushing poverty that faces so many people who live in Africa. Despite the beautiful vineyards and houses surrounding them, most of the local workers were living in what could, at best, be called a shack. With walls and a roof of tin, they seemed to try and be making the best out of what they considered home. Some had laundry strung up outside, other’s had small gardens blooming in the front yard, and some even had addresses painted near the entrance.
As we drove passed the squatter camps, I looked around at the faces of my teammates in the van. Many turned to each other in disbelief. Some jaws even hung open. The contrast between what we had been living in and around for the first few days and the squatter camp on the side of the road, between what we had been experiencing in Africa and what they experience every day, was heart-wrenching. From the looks on the faces of the girls in the van, everybody felt the same sadness creep over them. It certainly reminded me, and I’m sure many of the other girls, why we’re here. Although the touring is great fun, although pumping music in the van, seeing hippos and elephants, and eating delicious food is comfortable and exciting, we are really hear to make a change, to help make a little dent in the community to make it better.

Jordan

This was the most amazing experience! I loved every minute of it, even when our bus was being flooded with cockroaches. :) I have so many great memories of this trip I could literally go on all day. Although it was so fun going out and seeing the sights of beautiful Uganda and going on Safaris, my favorite part was building the relationships with all of my many friends I now have in Uganda. They are all such happy people and I will never forget all of the lessons they taught me. I know like many girls have said before, we went there to teach them but really they eneded up teaching us, and it is so true! I have learned so much from this trip, my life will never be same and I hope I never forget the amazing time we all shared there!

Wow...

One of Margaret Mead’s most famous quotes is “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” I like that quote, and I believe in that quote. I repeated this quote to the girls before we left. We have been working on this project for about 10 months and all of the girls have spent countless hours fundraising, preparing, learning, etc…and have been very committed throughout this project’s entirety. They didn’t know really what they were getting themselves into, but their motives were sincere and all of us had a common goal: to leave an impact or be impacted. To have eyes opened and to open eyes.


I narrowed Margaret Mead’s quote down for the girls… “changing the world” is quite cliché these days and a little ambiguous. But I told them you can change “your world” and how you view it….or the Laroo student that became your close friend’s world, or the children at the orphan homes’ worlds that you were able to inspire, or the baby who was near death and we were able to buy her a feeding tube that most likely saved her life, or donating $1,000 to a small orphan home and now the children can go to school and receive medical care, or helping thousands of kids in Gulu play in a soccer league, or giving bare essentials to people in a refugee camp that have nothing. These people’s “worlds were changed” by this committed group of 16 girls.


Since we have returned home, I have received countless emails from various people we worked with in Uganda; from the staff at the Kids League, to directors at children’s homes, to school headmasters, to different girls we played along our tour, to students that we became close friends with, etc. etc. I have also heard from random people throughout the world curious and inspired by our project. I have also received phone calls from other sports teams throughout the US that want to do a similar service trips as a team. Random people throughout our community (that I don’t know) have also contacted me sending their support and admiration for what we were out to do. I have also received so many emails from our Goals for Girls team members expressing the impact this trip has had on their lives and how it has opened their eyes and hearts to the “real world”. That is exactly what Suzy and I had envisioned for this project: to impact lives, for these 16 girls to see beyond their “worlds” in Provo, Utah, and for these girls to realize the ability and opportunities they have to impact others, both locally and internationally. Also, we wanted them to really believe in this year’s motto: “That every girl should have a goal” and to always be working to make their goals reality.



Thank you to the 16 girls, 3 chaperones, parents, the film crew, and Suzy for making this trip so incredible. It turned out so great, and was exactly what I had been envisioning for a year now. It has been worth all of the many hours and hard work we have put into it. Also, thank you to the staff at HELP International, the Kids League, and Ian Oliver for all of the direction and assistance they gave us along the way. And thank you to the many donors that contributed to this experience, including Farmers Insurance, CALLE, US Soccer Foundation, and BYU Women’s Soccer. I have really loved working on this project, and getting to know these 16 girls, and watching them interact and help the many Ugandans we were blessed to know. I am sad it is over. I enjoyed coming across obstacles with the girls and trying to hurdle them together to make it such a success. They are such a unique group, and I love and adore each of them. Thank you everyone….for making this goal of ours come true! Stay tuned for the upcoming documentary on our trip!!!

*Posted by Jackie