Help kids in haiti
In Deschapelles, a small village in rural Haiti, kids who might not even have sneakers are playing tennis! Tennis gives the kids of Deschapelles something fun to look forward to every day. It has the potential to change the course of their lives, and in turn, to lift up their families.
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HISTORY
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They play on an ancient concrete court built by the U.S. owned Standard Fruit Company before it left Haiti in the 1950s. Now, the tennis court is on the grounds of Hospital Albert Schweitzer (HAS), founded in 1956 by Larry and Gwen Mellon, to serve those in need of healthcare.
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At first, only foreign hospital staff played on the court. But then, street kids began to pick up the game with sticks as rackets and dead balls they found scattered nearby. Noticing the interest of these young players, Hospital staff started collecting old rackets and giving impromptu lessons. The Deschapelles community realized that tennis could be a transformative opportunity for the local kids who had little else.
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After the 2010 earthquake, the Mellons’ daughter, Jenifer Grant of Essex, CT, formed Sister Cities Essex Haiti (SCEH), a group that partners with Deschapelles’ Organization for Economic and Social Development. The local community leaders were eager to build a library and enhance the town's fledgling music and tennis programs—all of which SCEH accomplished.
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For the nascent tennis program, SCEH sent a US pro and some equipment to train Haitian coaches. One SCEH member kindly donated the stipend for a Haitian coach, who is paid just $50 per month.
On a shoestring budget, the Club Tennis Deschapelles was born! |
Club Tennis Deschapelles
Developing Skills, Thrills, and Sportsmanship
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Club Tennis Deschapelles (CTD) serves about 50 kids daily. The kids share the single court that doesn’t even have a fence. Of course, they chase down every ball!
CTD also runs a 1-2 month-long summer camp for all interested, which serves up to 100 children.
The coaches are similarly dedicated. Walter (right), is paid only $50 dollars per month, and Jude (left), receives no pay at all. |
Many players walk long distances on dirt paths from homes that lack running water, electricity, and adequate food and clothing. Still, they never miss a day of practice! 
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The Travel Team-
Opportunity of a Lifetime
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For the past 8 years CTD has been fielding travel teams to competitions sponsored by The Haitian Tennis Federation. Up to 25 kids travel to about 10 tournaments per year in the Port-au-Prince area. Some have even competed in the Dominican Republic!
This team is the only opportunity for many of these kids to travel beyond their community. CTD supplies all their food and transportation. CTD also hosts tournaments, providing food and medals to the competitors. The CTD players have a distinct home court advantage—they know where to aim for the cracks on their opponents’ side of the court! |
Winning Championships, Moving Forward
With hand-me-down rackets and shoes, coaches working for little or nothing, older players helping to coach the younger kids, and lots of grit and determination, CTD players are winning tournaments. They brought home 7 trophies from a qualifying tournament in early 2020!
The players of CTD did even better at the 2020 National Championship, where Elivert Philotherene (below, second from left) won the Boys 18 title (see video) and Auguste Christanelle (below, left) was runner-up in the Girls 12 division!
Elivert Philotherene, the 2020 Boys 18 National Champion
(on the right in video below)
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Tennis helps these kids overcome tremendous odds. One CTD player, James Adler Greminal, had achieved a top national ranking in his age group when his mother left Haiti to seek work in the US. It wasn’t clear he would be able to continue playing tennis, but a coach in Port-au-Prince, knowing Adler’s potential and work ethic, invited him to train in Haiti’s capital. Eventually, the coach took him to competitions in Florida, where he now lives and plays on the circuit. Tennis has changed the course of Adler’s life.
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THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LOVE OF
TENNIS AND CHILDREN!
Purpose, Investment, and Hope
We know what tennis means for us and how valuable sport is for our kids. We learn to work hard for ourselves and our team. We set goals and reach them through persistence and resilience. We handle setbacks and celebrate successes. We have a purpose.
For the kids in Deschapelles, the CTD tennis program, which is open to all, is their only opportunity for organized sport. Because most of these kids lack basic necessities, have little education, and sometimes go hungry, CTD serves not only as an opportunity for sport, but an opportunity for social mobility.
Your contribution would go a long way in Haiti. For relatively little, you could help resurface the court or pay a coach. A year’s salary equals the cost of just 7 private lessons in the United States. More importantly, your contribution would make a tremendous difference in these kids’ lives.
Tennis is a lifeline. Please help extend it.
For the kids in Deschapelles, the CTD tennis program, which is open to all, is their only opportunity for organized sport. Because most of these kids lack basic necessities, have little education, and sometimes go hungry, CTD serves not only as an opportunity for sport, but an opportunity for social mobility.
Your contribution would go a long way in Haiti. For relatively little, you could help resurface the court or pay a coach. A year’s salary equals the cost of just 7 private lessons in the United States. More importantly, your contribution would make a tremendous difference in these kids’ lives.
Tennis is a lifeline. Please help extend it.
CTD Needs
- Cement surface for the court: $4,100
- Acrylic overlay: $5,200
- Fence: $2,600
- Salary:
- 1 coach $50/month ($600/year)
- 2 coaches $1200/year
- Transportation for away tournaments:
- Single day : $350
- Multi-day: $450
- Food for travel day for the team: $50
- Home tournaments: $250
- Passports for traveling players: $500/year
- Shipping costs for clothing, sneakers, strings and grips
Our vision for a renovated court-
a fence and smooth surface!
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