SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN JAMAICA, A SECTOR IN FULL FLIGHT
In just over four plus years, the social enterprise landscape in Jamaica has undergone a seismic shift; a direct result of the efforts of Jamaica’s growing social enterprise base which includes: the joint USAID JN Foundation venture – SEBI; the School of Social Entrepreneurship and the Agency for Inner City Renewal (AIR) among others.
We have pooled our collective energies to bring fresh eyes and ears to the table ensuring that the sector is enabled strategically and sustainably. This approach has resulted in the inclusion of Social Enterprise in the Government of Jamaica’s Micro Small Medium Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (MSME) Policy. Beyond this, the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) has committed to creating a loan product for social enterprises and the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) is working assiduously on the Jamaica Social Exchange. In addition, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) has now included the social enterprise model in its strategy for the community renewal across Jamaica and the World Bank recently partnered with us to host the Social Enterprise 101 for Business Enablers and Policy Makers All of which will help to bring continued structure and resources to the burgeoning sector and is a clear indication that attitudes towards social enterprise are shifting.
Our Social Enterprises are keeping a pace with these developments and giving us much to celebrate.
From 360 Recycle to Superior Craft & More, from Deaf Can! Coffee to Alpha Wear; our social enterprises have been providing a growing base of clients with quality products and services.
A few achievements that we are applauding are:
Bunkers Hill Cultural Xperience & River Tour recently received their Tourist Board license and is only the second community in Jamaica to receive the Community Tourism designation from the Jamaica Tourist Board;
Superior Craft and More is making headway in the hospitality market, repairing plantation chairs for Half Moon Hotel;
360 Recycle is revolutionizing the use of trash to treasure locally and recently received its first contract from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) to create recycle bins out of recycled material;
Deaf Can! Coffee was awarded the “Innovative Employment Practice 2017” by the Zero Project based in Vienna, Austria which seeks to create a world without barriers. Consequently, they met a pioneering company that developed a menu app that allows blind persons to access menu’s using accessibility features built in to iOS and Android devices and
Alpha Wear JA has had to expand their team to keep up with the growing demand for customizable products.
From providing land waste solutions, to meaningful employment for Jamaica’s differently-abled communities to supporting economic regeneration in rural Jamaica, the social enterprise sector is in full flight.
We are glad to have to you on board!
