$5.8M For Micro And Small Businesses In August Town
By: , April 29, 2022
Photo: Adrian Walker
Minister of Education and Youth, Hon Fayval Williams (second left), is shown pottery done by owner of Stephaney’s Moulding and Pottery Design, Stephaney Jackson (fourth left). Also pictured are (from left) Inspector of Police, August Town Police Station, Inspector Stephen Taylor; Managing Director, the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Omar Sweeney; and Senior Manager, Social Development, JSIF, Mona Sue Ho.
Photo: Adrian Walker
Grant support of $5.8 million was on Thursday (April 28) awarded to micro and small enterprises in the August Town community. Displaying the cheque is Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams (centre,) and (from left) Senior Manager, Social Development, of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) Mona Sue Ho; Managing Director JSIF, Omar Sweeney; Inspector of Police, August Town Police Station, Inspector Stephen Taylor and National Police Youth Club Coordinator and President (Acting) of the August Town Community Development Committee, Sergeant Ricardo McCalpin.
Photo: Adrian Walker
Managing Director of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Omar Sweeney, speaks at the Integrated Community Development Project II Awards ceremony held Thursday (April 28) at the Haven of Hope Open Bible Church in the August Town community.
Photo: Adrian Walker
Minister of Education and Youth, Hon Fayval Williams, delivers the main remarks at Thursday’s (April 28) Integrated Community Development Project II Awards ceremony in the August Town community, where $5.8million in grant support was awarded to 44 beneficiaries.The Full Story
A total of 44 micro and small enterprises in the August Town, St Andrew community have been awarded grant support valued at $5.8million, under the Government’s Integrated Community Development Project II (ICDP-II).
The project is being implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF).
Presentation of the award was made Thursday (April 28) at the Haven of Hope Open Bible Church in the community, where some of the beneficiaries displayed their creations and received much encouragement.
Minister of Education and Youth and Member of Parliament for St Andrew Eastern, Hon. Fayval Williams, lauded the importance of small businesses to community development.
“These small enterprises have been the seedbed for new ideas and the testing ground for new ways of working. They often lead the way for new products on the market and new services [and] help to foster local economies,” the Minister said.
She encouraged the entrepreneurs to “get formalised”, so that they can take their businesses to the next level. The Minister highlighted that Jamaica’s unemployment rate has dropped to 6.2 per cent and the project will further contribute to “economic growth and community development through income generation and job creation”.
She urged community members to encourage these local businesses by offering them the support needed to sustain their operations.
Managing Director of JSIF, Omar Sweeney, noted that in the first cycle of the ICDP-II, approximately $3 million was invested to support 24 micro and small entrepreneurs. With the 44 persons added on Thursday (28 April), a total of 68 enterprises have benefited from the programme.
Mr. Sweeney said more than 300 applications were received.
Looking at the ‘bigger picture’, Mr. Sweeney said: “We want to create the type of community that every Jamaican deserves to live in; a community that is safe.”
He said, further, that, “the impact and the intervention that is being made is to ensure that no community is left behind”.
Mr. Sweeney acknowledged the ministries and organisations that partnered with JSIF to offer additional support to the beneficiaries. Among them are the August Town Community Development Committee, the Ministry of National Security, the JPS Foundation, the Bureau of Standards
Jamaica, the National Housing Trust and the Companies Office of Jamaica.
“These partners will be on hand to provide the necessary business support that the beneficiaries might need to sustain their business ventures,” Mr. Sweeney said.