STARTED WITH A VISION
On the back of my visit, Stamford Peace and PowerFORWARD decided to partner more fully. Stamford Peace's mission has always been to use basketball as a tool to positively influence young people. Thus, it came as no surprise that Brian Kriftcher (Stamford Peace Founder) quickly embraced the idea of helping PowerFORWARD expand its similar efforts creating opportunities for Haitian youth basketball players.
His vision of bringing 1-2 PowerFORWARD boys to live, go to school, and play basketball here in Stamford came to life soon after. This is a crazy complicated process -- with moving pieces that include finding host families, meeting high school academic requirements, obtaining the appropriate Visas, getting immunizations on route to medical clearance, etc. Under most "normal" circumstances, the process could take up to a year to complete -- especially for an organization that has never done this before. But Stamford Peace's vision and execution abilities don't make for normal circumstances ... and within two months of my initial visit to Haiti, Dimitry (age 16) and Cantavio (age 15) were on a plane from Port-au-Prince to Stamford starting their American dream.
On a particularly personal note, the feeling you get working directly on a project that helps make kids' dreams come true is pretty indescribable.
LIVING IN AMERICA
The initial plan was for the boys to spend their first weeks in America with Coach K and his family, after which the boys would move to a more permanent living situation with local host families that we had lined up for them. Coach K and his wife have three teenage daughters, so having the boys stay for longer was anything but clear-cut. Despite the language barrier (while the boys are progressing, even now English is challenging), a connection developed quickly. And so, six week in, the boys continue to live with the Kriftchers. From my vantage point, I can see no better fit for these two boys than with this family. Indeed, I am eager to see the bond continue to develop as the year’s progress.
THE LANGUAGE
Of course, the boys’ basketball skills are already very good, and growing by the day. However, there are so many other aspects that impress me about the boys – mainly their language capabilities. Six weeks ago Cantavio couldn't speak a word of English -- and Dimitry was not much better. They were relegated to using their new iPads (thanks Trinity and the Shapiro family!) to translate sentences quickly from Creole to English. A majority of their English knowledge and abilities came from pop culture and rap music, which they both love. By now, their vocabularies have expanded exponentially every day, and by this point they are having conversations in English.
I can tell you from personal experience that after a week in Haiti, I was familiar with the words oui (yes) and non (no). Big difference …
LOVE FOR THE GAME
As mentioned previously, I was in Haiti for a week and got to see Dimitry, Cantavio, and many other young Haitian players practice every day. There was undeniable talent and natural athleticism that I wasn’t accustomed to seeing in this age range here in the States. As we always say at Stamford Peace, “God gave them a gift, and it would be a waste not to help them use those gifts to try to improve their lives.”
The coaching and training these boys had received in Haiti was less advanced and focused than they are receiving here, however, their passion for the game was evident. From the moment they arrived in Stamford and put on their new basketball shoes, they have demonstrated a constant desire to stay on the court and pour their hearts into the game. Every day after school they do their homework, then train for hours. Their desire to improve seems to know no bounds.
In the beginning, they would tire easily from the workouts (although even then, they would not give into it). Now, practice is considered another day’s work, and it is so fun to watch. They stand out in their games as the boys have the ability to fly for a rebound, block shots, and dunk with ease. They have an unparalleled drive to improve, which alongside their natural athleticism and talent is a combination that will serve them well. I look forward to seeing their continued progress!
It has been such a wonderful journey so far working closely with Stamford Peace and these boys. They are doing great in school and on the court. I can't wait to see how the rest of their year pans out - I have so much confidence in their continued happiness and success!
THE 1ST DAY
Dimitry and Cantavio arrived on September 26, nearly two months ago.
I'm not trying to sound cliche in saying that they came stateside with nothing more than half-full (or is it half-empty?) backpacks -- plus the clothes they were wearing -- on their backs But it's true. And with that, we made our first stop at the mall to try to get the boys some essentials for their new life in America. Seeing their eyes light up entering our huge department stores .. Priceless.
I’ll admit, it was pretty comical to see Dimitry and Cantavio - with respective heights of 6’5" and 6’7" - trying to find of pants that fit. In the end, we gave up on Old Navy (no offense), resigning ourselves instead to ordering 30 x 36 khakis and jeans online. From there, we went straight to Foot Locker, which might as well have been the Holy Grail to the boys. They couldn’t speak much English at this time, but one word they knew: LeBron.
After a long morning of shopping, it was time to go check out the school they would be attending for the next three years. We had pre-arranged for both boys to attend Trinity Catholic, a private school here in Stamford which welcomed the idea with open arms. Trinity seemed the perfect match for the boys ... a small Catholic school with excellent academics, a robust ESL program, and storied basketball. Trinity’s long time basketball coach, Coach Walsh, and Christine Green, head of admissions were so helpful throughout this initiation process. We could not have done it without them.
TRINITY CATHOLIC
In case there was any doubt, the boys' intelligence became very clear when one night early on at the Kriftchers, they stepped in to work with Coach K's youngest daughter, Sophie, on her math homework. The boys took pride in being able to do the work pretty easily. This just goes to prove how intelligent these boys are, especially in math and science subjects where the language barrier isn’t an issue.
The schools in Haiti are undoubtedly rigorous with their teaching methods, because the boys excel academically. Regardless of each class at Trinity being taught in English, Dimitry and Cantavio seemingly have their routine of class and homework set, rarely asking for help. In fact, I asked if they needed anything one time, and they responded, “No, this is easy. We can do this.”
Not trying to overemphasize this point, but if I had to do history homework in Creole, I probably wouldn’t make it to school the next day because I’d still be sitting at my kitchen table trying to start the homework.
GRUB
After spending a week in Haiti and eating Haitian food, I knew the transition to American food might be tough for the boys. They ate pizza the first two nights and Chinese on the third night, and after that, it was evident they were craving something more native. There is a small Jamaican restaurant in Stamford that we ate at four days in a row after their introduction to typical American eating. The food is quite similar to traditional Haitian dining, and has become one of our regular spots. At the same time, they are becoming more accustomed to American “cuisine” such as chocolate chip pancakes. We are grateful to Josette Cayo and Jackque Markes (friends of the Stamford Peace program with personal connections to Haiti) who regularly cook Haitian dishes for everyone to enjoy!
Welcome, Welcome
With the boys officially here for a month, we wanted them to get the royal welcome they deserved. After all, “it takes a village to raise a child” -- but in our opinions, it takes a child to raise a village as well.
We had a welcome party for Dimitry and Cantavio to meet others in our community and celebrate new beginnings. Fifty or so friends and family showed up in support, and helped make the night memorable. Everyone in attendance marveled at the uniqueness of the opportunity. The word “inspiration” hung from the rafters. It’s truly remarkable how many people Dimitry and Cantavio have inspired since their arrival only two months ago.
Our goal here is not only to change the lives of the boys, but also to encourage others through this process. This get together was only the beginning of a committed, communal movement.
