50 entrepreneurs to receive business support under REAP

Fifty entrepreneurs from vulnerable communities in St James, Clarendon, and Kingston and St Andrew will benefit from business training and support under the Realise, Embrace, Achieve Your Purpose (REAP) Entrepreneurship Programme.

Being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) through its Community Renewal Programme (CRP), REAP is designed to empower entrepreneurs to become agents of change within their families and communities.

PIOJ has partnered with the nonprofit, Young Women of Purpose (YWOP)/Young Men of Purpose (YMOP) to provide the training over a 14-month period. The beneficiaries will also receive financial support of $100,000 to build out their business operations.

The objective is to enable the community entrepreneurs to improve their income-generating capacity and prospects for meaningful self-development and self-actualisation.

Addressing the contract-signing ceremony on Monday (March 17) at the PIOJ offices in Kingston, Director General of the PIOJ, Dr. Wayne Henry, said the intervention will support a key strategy under the CRP's Socio-economic Development component, which aims to promote entrepreneurship by empowering and building the capacity of community persons.

"This includes supporting their linkages to a sustainable business incubator network that delivers services to early-stage innovation-driven entrepreneurs, through business clinics," he noted.

Founder/Executive Director, YWOP/YMOP, Lanisia Rhoden, told JIS News that the primary objective of the programme is to address high unemployment and poverty levels in these communities by equipping the participants with the skills to start or formalise their businesses.

"It targets those who are unemployed, not engaged, and are vulnerable to youth crime and violence. Once they are passionate about entrepreneurship then they will be able to participate in the programme," she said.

"For the persons whose businesses are feasible and ready to go to the next level, they will receive grant funding to start it or to take it to the next level, and the funding will be used to purchase equipment or tools to enable them to start their businesses," she explained.

Training will include entrepreneurship and business management, marketing for small businesses, accounting for small businesses, and health and wellness for entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs will also benefit from business coaching and mentorship.

- JIS

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