In The News

The Sandals Foundation's commitment to empowering Caribbean communities through sport and sustainability is taking center stage in a new documentary from BBC StoryWorks. Now available for viewing on Sandals and Ajax digital channels ahead of its BBC broadcast later this summer, the episode explores the Sandals Resorts brand’s Future Goals program and how the Sandals Foundation, AFC Ajax and local recycler Limpi Recycling have partnered to transform ocean waste into opportunity for thousands of children across Curaçao.

For the past four years, Future Goals has used the power of sport to inspire the next generation of Curaçaoan students. Through the program, discarded plastic waste and recovered ghost fishing nets collected from the sea are transformed into colorful soccer goal posts for schools across the island. Paired with an eight-week curriculum delivered by local "Future Coaches" trained through AFC Ajax's renowned youth development methodology, the initiative teaches teamwork, leadership, confidence, and environmental stewardship both on and off the field.

The BBC documentary follows students, coaches, community leaders, and program partners to uncover how a simple idea, turning waste into opportunity, has evolved into a movement reaching schools and communities across Curaçao. To date, the program has recycled more than 7,500 pounds of plastic waste and more than 3,390 square feet of ghost fishing nets while creating 116 goal posts and reaching 5,345 students across 85% of the island's primary schools.

The documentary arrives at a particularly meaningful moment for Curaçao as the island celebrates its historic qualification as the smallest nation participating in the world's biggest soccer tournament. Earlier this month, students enrolled in the Future Goals program unveiled a vibrant public art installation in the historic Kura Hulanda district on World Oceans Day, using blue and yellow recycled materials to celebrate Team Curaçao's achievement and four years of community and environmental impact through the program. The installation and the stories behind it are featured as part of the documentary's broader exploration of the connection between sport, sustainability and national pride.

The documentary is available beginning today on Ajax and Sandals digital channels and will air on BBC platforms later this summer.

To learn more about Future Goals, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y714_0jaf6.