In The News

AFC Ajax, Sandals Resorts and the Sandals Foundation today announced a renewed commitment of their impactful Future Goals program in Curaçao, continuing their partnership through June 2028. This commitment will open the door for even more schoolchildren to benefit from Future Goals – a transformative program that uses soccer as a gateway to teach environmental responsibility, teamwork, and creative problem-solving.

To mark this milestone, Ajax and Sandals have unveiled a heartfelt new film that captures the transformative spirit of the program, spotlighting the joy of play, the power of purpose, and the promise of a cleaner future for Curaçao's next generation. 

A Winning Play for Kids and the Caribbean

Launched in 2022, Future Goals is a unique initiative by Netherlands soccer club AFC Ajax, Sandals Resorts and its philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation. The program takes an inventive approach to youth engagement: tapping local Curaçao company Limpi Recycling to turn plastic waste from the ocean into sustainably produced soccer goals for primary schools.

Beyond gear, the program also implements an annual eight-week curriculum that blends in-class learning with on-the-field training, all centered around the game of soccer. Sessions are delivered by local "Future Coaches" who are trained by AFC Ajax, and are designed to promote physical activity while teaching important life skills.

To date, the impact of the Future Goals program has been both wide-reaching and deeply meaningful. More than 1.4 million plastic bottles and caps have been removed from local communities, alongside over 3,000 square feet of discarded fishing nets pulled from the sea. More than 70 soccer goalposts have been creatively recycled from these materials and delivered to schools across Curaçao. In addition, sustainable soccer gear and educational kits have been distributed to the majority of the island’s primary schools, equipping students with the tools to learn, play, and grow.

These numbers are set to grow as the program reaches even more students and schools across the island. The expanded initiative will also feature more annual events for students like the Plastic Art Challenge, inter-school tournaments, and island-wide clean-up days, through which 743 children from 21 schools recently collected litter across local communities to close out the 2024-2025 year.

“This partnership gives children the opportunity to play, to lead, and to connect with the environment in ways that truly matter,” said Patrice Gilpin, PR Manager of the Sandals Foundation. “It’s proof that when we invest in children, we invest in a stronger, more sustainable future for the Caribbean.”

“Together with Sandals Resorts, we’re showing the impact Ajax can have on the other side of the world,” said Cas Biesta, Commercial Director of AFC Ajax. “It is wonderful to see that the Future Goals program has been running non-stop in Curaçao for three years now. The basis is ‘love for soccer,’ but it also teaches children about teamwork, creativity, resilience, and caring for the environment. We are very proud to be working together toward more Future Goals.” 

To learn more about Future Goals, visit: https://www.sandals.com/futuregoals/.