In an effort to make persons with disabilities (PWDs) less financially vulnerable and able to participate in various facets of society, members of the deaf community, along with small farmers, rural women, and elderly artisans, have been trained in climate-smart agriculture and sustainable craft-making under a $50-million project implemented by RISE Life Management Services and funded by the European Union in Jamaica.

The project, Improved Forest Management and Livelihoods for a Better Jamaica (IFMAL), which included over 200 participants, was launched in March 2022 and was designed to enhance sustainable forest management, mitigate the impact of climate change, and improve the livelihoods of various communities, particularly vulnerable groups such as PWDs.

“First-of-a-kind training was done on climate change, and climate-resilient agriculture for persons who are deaf,” explained RISE Life Executive Director Nadine Chambers Goss. “As some of the participants are engaged in farming this was important to sustain themselves and their families. Given the impact the current climate crisis is having on Jamaica, and globally, it was important to build the understanding of PWDs on this issue. The training material will be made available to the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities, so persons who are deaf and living across Jamaica can also benefit from the training.”

According to Chambers Goss, the initiative, through a partnership with Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD), has set a new standard for collaborative and environmentally conscious initiatives.

“We played a pivotal role in expanding the craft production facilities at the CCCD, creating a social enterprise that actively involves persons who are deaf and hard of hearing,” she said. “Originally, we planned for a single location, but our efforts surpassed expectations, extending to two CCCD campuses.”

This expansion provides employment opportunities for women in central Jamaica and in western Jamaica at a campus in Montego Bay.

The climate change aspect of the initiative, the first of its kind in Jamaica, provides training to 150 persons with disabilities covering mitigation, adaptation, and climate-resilient agriculture. It emphasises inclusivity by providing interpreters who are videotaped, allowing the training material to be packaged and shared with the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities. This approach aims to extend the accessibility of valuable information on climate change to a wider audience, ensuring that PWDs can also benefit from the training.

“In addition to climate change-resilient agriculture, training was also done in bamboo craft,” Goss disclosed. “The PWDs were able to use their newly acquired skills to make various bamboo items. Through the project, linkages were also made for the items made to be sold in the stores of a popular hotel chain.”

Other partners in IFMAL were Beenybud Jamaica and Tulloch Estates.

Beenybud assisted with project implementation and craft training in the communities of Glengoffe and Mount Industry in St Catherine. Around 44 artisans were recruited and over 55 training sessions conducted for new and existing artisans, including students of Glengoffe High School. Some 27 farmers were also on-boarded in order to grow and harvest jippy jappa straw and khus khus grass which are key raw materials for the craft work.

Meanwhile, Tulloch Estates undertook research geared towards determining the best approach to creating and maintaining premium mahogany and cocoa products, with a view to resuscitating the ailing sectors. The project team says research findings will be shared with The University of the West Indies’ Botany Department and the Forestry Department, and seedlings from verified plants will go to a nursery and the Endemic Species Preservation Unit at the Royal Botanical Gardens.

“I learned a lot in the bamboo training,” related Nicola Lewis, a participant at the Jamaica Deaf Village in Manchester. “I like to make bags. What I learned from the bags I would like to be able to use in the future. I would like to be able to sell and I am looking forward to what benefit it can be to me. I learned a lot. I was excited and I felt empowered that I had learned so much and I hope to be successful with the bags in the future.”

Another participant from the deaf community, Nicole Bernard, added that “for the deaf and hard of hearing it is good for them to learn and get different information about the bamboo and the crafts and different things.”

The RISE Life executive director underscored these points.

“The training has been transformative for PWDs,” Goss said. “By equipping them with skills in sustainable farming and bamboo crafting, they’ve gained avenues to produce goods both for local consumption and international markets. This not only elevates their earning potential but also fosters a newfound financial independence. With the ability to secure steady income, these individuals are better positioned to support themselves and their families, while also bolstering economic vitality within their communities.”

A 10-acre arboretum of indigenous Jamaican trees was also established on the grounds of the school in Manchester, as a means of enhancing the aesthetics and fostering a more sustainable environment. In total, over 747 lumber trees, 482 fruit trees, and 226 ornamental trees were planted.

Speaking at the recent close-out event for the IFMAL project, Aniceto Rodriguez, head of cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union, spoke to the value of providing economic opportunities for persons living with disabilities.

“I’ve witnessed the success of training programmes in bamboo craft and bamboo bag sewing, providing essential knowledge in sustainable practices for utilising both wood and non-wood forest resources,” he said. “It is especially beneficial for PWDs [as] it not only creates new opportunities for economic empowerment but also enables these individuals to actively contribute to both local and global markets. The EU is happy that through this project, persons living with disabilities, small farmers and artisans have been empowered to make a way for themselves economically.”

Meanwhile, Goss has emphasised the importance of the collaboration with the CCCD to the success of the training programmes.

“Their involvement was instrumental,” she insisted. “Members associated with CCCD not only received specialised bamboo craft training but also benefited directly from enhanced facilities. To bolster their capabilities, we invested in upgrading their production infrastructure, providing them with state-of-the-art bamboo equipment and machinery. This partnership with CCCD ensured that training was effectively tailored and that the impact resonated deeply within the deaf community, fostering both skills development and economic empowerment.”