Sprint to Cite Soleil

Our mission is to work alongside community members of Cite Soleil to strengthen Cite Soleil Haiti’s youth through inspiration, empowerment, community and peacemaking.

Today is Give to the Max, Minnesota's annual giving holiday. Our Sprint leaders in Cite Soleil continue to emphasize the importance and rarity of a program like Sprint to Cite Sprint, as Haiti continues to make headlines with stories of gang violence and political turmoil. We attempted to summarize the complexity of what is going on in Haiti, but we think nothing is more authentic and transparent than the below message shared from our team.

“According to a note published by UNICEF dated May 28, 2024, children represent 30 to 50% of the total number of gangs in the country. Boys are used as spies, to transport ammunition, to monitor kidnapped people and even as front-line fighters when they reach the age of 14. As for girls, they are used as cooks, as wives or targeted by sexual violence, to weaken rival groups.

If some young people are forced to be part of a gang, others do so because they have no other options for survival. Without social support and leisure, these young people are pushed to join gangs by the need for money to meet other basic needs, to protect themselves or quite simply by the need to belong. This situation has tragic consequences for each of the children concerned. They are victims of murder, coercion, mutilation, rape and other forms of sexual violence; in short, the use of children by armed groups constitutes a serious violation of their rights. In addition, it promotes the proliferation of gangs because it is easier to convince a child to join the gang. It is therefore necessary to provide responses that can put an end to this situation.

This type of Violence often prohibits children, adolescents and young adults from important activities such as school, personal hobbies, sports, personal development and simply being a child. With nowhere to turn, many run to join armed gangs, which encourage violence. It is in this vein that Sprint to Cite Soleil plans to create groups of young people through our inter-age socio-sporting program. Each young person, being considered as seedlings of peace, will have the mission of becoming honest, committed citizens, by sharing life skills acquired during the program, which are able to resist the influence of negative peers.”

It is crucial to demonstrate our support, compassion, and strength for our friends in Haiti through this day of giving. Please consider donating on our Give to the Max website HERE.

Please take a look at some of the pictures below and the video above. We hope you see the joy that this program and your support continues to brings :)

Gen Espwa,

The Sprint to Cite Soleil Family