GoalsforPeaceTournamentBenin

Soccer is the common language in Dassa-Zoumé. It crosses neighborhoods, age groups, and social divides in a way that few others do. 

The Goals for Peace Tournament is a three-week community soccer tournament taking place this fall in Dassa-Zoumé, Benin, West Africa. Sixteen teams of young men aged 16–30 from across the municipality will compete over three weeks. Every match opens with discussions on civic responsibility, health, and community peace. Twenty young referees and ten first-aid responders will be trained during the event. A community fair will close the tournament, bringing together local leaders, families, and youth in a shared space.

Debra and Thomas D'Aquin Kouda are the organizers of the tournament. Thomas D'Aquin grew up in the Zou-Collines region, where Dassa sits at the center, and has organized three community soccer tournaments in Benin over the years. Debra is a dual US-Benin citizen, former Peace Corps volunteer, and founder of Hello West Africa, a cultural tourism company rooted in Benin. 

Together, they live between Benin and Washington State, USA. They return regularly, and Thomas always ends up on the pitch playing with the people he grew up playing with. He knows this region well. This time, we want to do something bigger, giving back more to the teams and the community that has always shown up for the game. 

Prize money awarded to the top three teams goes directly back into the game. Winning teams use it to pay players, maintain their pitch, and keep their clubs running. The jerseys and equipment stay with the neighborhood teams when the tournament ends. The organizing committee is structured to keep running annual tournaments long after this one concludes. This is not a one-time event. It is the beginning of something lasting. 

 

Every dollar contributed goes directly to the field. Contributors receive a photo report and a full account of how funds were used after the tournament concludes.

Where your money goes