Cottage Farmer's Group is a grassroots farmer's group that works in rural Jamaica to improve the lives of those in their community; as part of their work they began a project to secure a place for their community to process and distribute locally grown food, host meetings and local events, and rent out to earn income. With the help of a Digicel Foundation grant, they were able to purchase and renovate a old defunct school in the community, turning it from derelict to community center. The grand opening for this new complex was February 2020.
Unfortunately as many realize, the COVID-19 pandemic struck right after putting a stop to meetings as the facility had to be shuttered. Coming out of the pandemic the group began their work to rennovate and reopen the complex. As part of this work they submitted a grant to Friends of Jamaica with the goal of using grant funding to furnish the building. After months of preparation they were able to secure grant funding and use it to furnish their community center. As officer Yvonne Henry stated,
"The members of the CFG would like to thank Rosemary Rehm, our Peace Corps
volunteer, for her hard work in assisting the group to apply for the Friends of
Jamaica grant which used to purchase 40 chairs and 3 tables. The MPC has
since opened the space to 2 organizations who have used the space for training
and community meetings.
We, the members, would like to thank FOJ for the financial assistance you
provided to complete our Multi Purpose Complex. Thank you again for your
generosity and support. We could not have done this without you."
The support of the Peace Corps Volunteer on-site, as well as our funding made a big impact on this community and the organization. Altogether 100+ individuals have already benefited from the newly furnished center, with two community organizations utilizing the space to conduct their work. We hope this project will continue to provide the community a space to meet and celebrate.
Know a local Jamaican organization with a great project in need of funding? Please encourage them to reach out to us at Friends of Jamaica and apply for a grant opportunity.
