We are well into our “It’s More Than A Game… It’s Hope!” campaign and are extremely grateful for the donations we’ve received thus far. We know that by collectively working together, we can meet our goal of raising $25,000 to give back the important gift of hope to at-risk boys and girls living in Liberia. When you give to our ongoing campaign, you’re giving the chance for a child to have hope for a better future!

At L.A.C.E.S., we approach our programming from a holistic mindset, working hard to not only improve the lives of our at-risk street kids, but also bring healing and restoration to the communities they live in. We made the decision long ago to hire local coaches who can help engage with the participants in our program best. By successfully implementing our research-backed mentorship curriculum, investing into their lives, and assisting them on and off the soccer pitch, our coaches are the rock stars of our organization. We’ve seen this method work wonders in helping us give back the gift of hope to boys and girls who otherwise would have none. Without the passion and dedication of our coaches, nothing that we do would possible.

Hope, a Tangible Truth

When considering our incredible staff and passionate coaches, Boima comes to mind. As a local pastor in the community we work in, he has given his entire life to bettering and empowering those around him. Whether he’s mentoring L.A.C.E.S. children or in the church ministering to his congregation, he takes his roles seriously. During a recent staff trip to Liberia, Boima was gracious enough to sit down and share about his experience with L.A.C.E.S. and the transformation he’s witnessed because of it.

“Three years ago, many of the street children were very disrespectful, disobedient. Since L.A.C.E.S. has come to Kakata, they have helped reduce the stress from the community by improving the behavior of the children,” Boima said. He was passionate when he spoke about the program. Boima shared that several children he has coached in his years with the L.A.C.E.S. program were not orphans, but rather had chosen to simply run away from home. He says that in his time, he’s seen many children return back to their parents after learning to do so through the L.A.C.E.S. program. Now they are off of the streets and have been reunited with their families.

Trust within the community…

Boima is active in his role within the community as a pastor, so we asked him what their opinion of the L.A.C.E.S. program was. He shared that street children in Kakata carry with them a very negative stigma. Local community members often fear them because of their reckless tendencies and desperation. He said that because of this, community members were skeptical as to why L.A.C.E.S. would choose to invest time and energy into these children. After some time, he recalls their perceptions of our organization changed as they recognized the kids enrolled in the curriculum bettering themselves. He mentioned that L.A.C.E.S. has gained the trust and respect of this community and that our work was making an impact for everyone in Kakata.

Boima loves the L.A.C.E.S. program and shared enthusiastically about the long-term effects he is seeing take place. Little by little, he has had the chance to witness hope restored in the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children and shares his inspiration as he watches them grow.

 

We need your help…

 

At L.A.C.E.S., hope isn’t just a catchphrase or vague idea. Hope is the tangible truth that change is possible and that better days are ahead. For the kids enrolled in our program, life has been anything but easy. The effects of war, disease, neglect, abuse, and much more have been plagues that have scarred their childhoods. Without a loving family to train and care for them, these children often end up heading towards a difficult future.

However, none of that is inevitable. By giving to L.A.C.E.S., you can change all of it! When you donate to our “It’s More Than A Game… It’s Hope!” campaign, you will be empowering local leaders like Boima to continue his work of giving hope back to lives of street children in need. Every dollar you give will go into expanding our programming, feeding hungry children, creating a safe space for at-risk youth, and inevitably inspiring hope. We hope you will join us in this endeavor. To donate to our campaign today, click the link here!