SDC hosts business empowerment clinic for grassroots entrepreneurs

The Social Development Commission (SDC) hosted a two-day business clinic on September 18 and 19, aimed at empowering grassroots entrepreneurs.

The event, which was held at the SDC parish office in Kingston, brought together 25 professionals seeking to formalise their businesses, develop growth strategies, and access critical funding and support services.

The clinic, staged in collaboration with several key partners, including the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ), and HEART/NSTA Trust, forms part of the SDC’s Local Economic Development Support Programme (LEDSP).

The strategic initiative is aimed at equipping grassroots entrepreneurs with the essential knowledge and tools necessary to formalise their businesses, access funding opportunities, and create sustainable growth within their respective industries.

Local Economic Development Coordinator at the SDC, Tamiqua Silvera, noted that the local economic support programme offers assistance to grassroots community businesses.

She said the recently staged clinic was intended to provide capacity-building support, as well as follow-ups for members who previously received training and grants.

“We aim to establish action plans for their short, medium and long-term goals, while equipping them with information on business registration, the benefits of being registered, and grant opportunities from the HEART/NSTA Trust,” Silvera added.

She pointed out that while space initially earmarked for individuals drawn from St Andrew Central was intended to accommodate 55 participants, “we are targeting 25 individuals for a more hands-on interactive session”.

Silvera said the remaining participants “will be invited at a later date to ensure personalised engagement”.

Reflecting on the programme’s execution, she said, “Two years post-implementation, we want to assess the impact and progress of our participants, based on the data from our impact survey.

“It was evident that they were appreciative and expressed a need for additional services, which we are now offering,’ she added.

The SDC currently supports 43 local economic initiatives in Kingston and St Andrew, employing more than 100 individuals and investing more than $14.7 million in grassroots businesses.

The business clinic is not only being staged in the Corporate Area. Silvera said there are plans to roll out similar workshops across the island.

“We have over 400 individuals with whom we directly interface, each with unique capacity-building needs,” she indicated.

The SDC, along with its partners, is to monitor the progress of clinic participants over a six-month period, evaluating their ability to implement the knowledge gained and access financing for growth.

The commission is already looking ahead to future projects, with plans to offer practical training sessions in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), and HEART/NSTA Trust, for several sectors, such as food service, with certification at the end of the process.