SDC Making Community Development Happen

The Social Development Commission (SDC), through its flagship initiative, Local Economic Development Support Programme (LEDSP), has been stimulating sustainable Local Economic Initiatives (LEIs) in communities across St. Elizabeth.

This is evident in the Maggotty and Retirement areas whose LEIs were recipients of grants under the programme.

The Merrywood Woodcrafters’ Creations in Maggotty, owned and operated by the Merrywood Community Development Committee (CDC), was awarded $250,000, whilst Retirement Crafts and Jams of the Retirement CDC received $176,000.

The LEDSP grants will be used to further expand the two community LEIs into becoming more productive and viable enterprises that can sustain the livelihoods of residents as well as contribute to economic development and employment.

At an SDC Social Fair in Maggotty on Friday (July 1), President of the Merrywood CDC, Cyril Martin, tells JIS News that the grant will be used to purchase small machinery and tools.

“It is an organisation that has over 40 members in the community but we have a small amount of woodcrafters… assigned to the programme right now. From the grant that we got we are able to purchase a chainsaw, jigsaw, sander and a drill. These are some things that are going to help the woodcrafters in the area a lot,” Mr. Martin explained.

“LEDSP is a programme that I really encourage because it is helping the community a lot and it helps the people to really produce more and to make themselves more efficient in terms of their production and to make more money,” he added.

Maggotty and Retirement falls under the SDC’s Maggotty Development Area of the parish that also comprises the communities Newton, White Hill, Elderslie, Mulgrave, Merrywood and Carisbrook.

Spearheading the development area is Community Development Officer, Elizabeth Sanderson, who says the LEDSP has been working to support the “grassroot creations” in the various communities, as well as local entrepreneurs.

“So how it works is that you have to first become a member of your CDC. Once you are a member, then you can access the benefits of the LEDSP. So, if I was a woodcrafter in Merrywood and I wanted to come and borrow the chainsaw, you would have to come in and be a part of the group. Pay your dues, log the things out, pay your fee for taking the equipment and bring them back on time,” Mrs. Sanderson outlined.

“Nobody is excluded from the process. All persons within the community are allowed to participate in the process to become a part of the groups, and once they have a small business, they can benefit from the programme,” she added.

One local entrepreneur that is benefiting from LEDSP is June Dixon-Samuels who is a member of the Maggotty CDC.

Mrs. Dixon-Samuels, who is also a dressmaker and owns a cookshop, prepares homemade products such as coconut oil, castor oil, bammies, and cassava flour. She also sells bissy, charcoal, nutmeg and Easter lily cactus, among other house plants.

“I have been doing this for five years. My mommy usually do it and I usually do it on a small scale helping her with it, then she passed on. So, I just take everything in hand; that’s how I started to do all these products,” Mrs. Dixon-Samuels stated.

She noted that the SDC has been integral in building her small business through the entity’s support of the Maggotty CDC. She pointed out that this is done through the purchase of equipment which she and other members utilise.

Additionally, Mrs. Dixon-Samuels said the SDC helps her to get further promotion and sales when they organise the various fairs.

“They (SDC) started to invite me out and I went out on fairs and they encouraged me to bring my products. It has been about two and half years now,” Mrs. Dixon-Samuels explained.

“They (SDC) are very encouraging. They encourage me to do more stuff and make myself available for all the shows. All the shows I get promotion, so that’s good and some days I have good sale days,” she added.

Mrs. Sanderson said, like Mrs. Dixon-Samuels, other LEIs under LEDSP have been reaping the benefits of the programme and have grown economically. She underscored that the programme works with local entrepreneurs to build their capacity and expose them to opportunities for networking and partnerships.

“We create opportunities for them to come in and be able to sell their goods or services at our local business fairs and or local engagements within the community as evident here today,” Mrs. Sanderson noted.

She added that the SDC will continue to execute its mission to facilitate the empowerment of citizens in communities, enabling their participation in an integrated, equitable, sustainable national development process.