American Friends of Jamaica Provides $208 Million in Grants to 65 Entities

Sixty-five entities that carry out work to improve the lives of Jamaicans have benefited from grants totalling $J208 million (US$1.3 million) from the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ).

The grantees include registered charities, non-profit organisations, community groups, hospitals and schools.

The support will enable them to advance initiatives in the areas of education, healthcare, disaster recovery, economic development and community resilience across the country.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, welcomed the support from the AFJ, noting that it comes just weeks after the organisation distributed cash vouchers to small farmers hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa.

He said that the AFJ is also supporting roofing and shelter reconstruction efforts in impacted parishes.

“Just the other day, we were gathered to distribute $80 million… benefiting 1,600 farmers in our hardest-hit parishes and we would have heard from some of our poultry farmers how much it means to them and how much your support is helping them build back stronger,” he pointed out.

Minister Green, who was speaking at the grant awards ceremony held on Tuesday (April 14) at the United States (US) Embassy in Kingston, said that the grantees supported by AFJ over the years “are at the heart of what makes Jamaica work”.

He hailed the organisation as “an excellent partner”.

“The fact is, you have been a partner that has stood up in the good times and in the bad times, and it could have been very easy for you to say that with the hurricane and the recovery efforts, that that is the focus [and not the grant efforts] but I think you understand how important this grant programme is,” Minister Green added.

For his part, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy, Scott Renner commended the AFJ for continuing to champion local initiatives that strengthen communities across the island.

“I am particularly impressed by the more than US$10 million raised in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, supporting homeowners, schools, clinics and farmers,” Mr. Renner said, noting that the AFJ “has stood tall among the many American partners who stepped forward to help communities recover”.

AFJ Executive Director, Caron Chung, said the organisation is pleased to continue its programme of support to benefit Jamaicans.

“Today, we are celebrating a long-standing commitment towards a strategic annual granting programme. Importantly, the funding behind these grants is made possible in large parts through the generosity of our donors and the success of our annual galas in New York and Miami. Those are our cornerstones that fuel our grants year after year,” she noted.

She said that this year’s set of grantees represent a cross section of organisations working in education, healthcare, and economic development.

AFJ President, Wendy Hart, in her remarks, commended the grantees for the work that they do in strengthening communities.

“[That] is why we are here in this room. We have been here for over 40 years. Every day is focused on building the role of philanthropy, of supporting the work of our partners and improving the lives of Jamaicans and the communities they live in,” she stated.