Christmas treats strengthen community bonds, unity

Micro-entrepreneurs in May Pen are stepping into a new phase of business growth, thanks to a series of targeted interventions led by Project STAR. Following a needs assessment conducted in April, which revealed significant gaps in marketing, record-keeping, and supplier access, the Project STAR Entrepreneurship Team hosted a transformative Business Model Canvas (BMC) workshop in June.

In Rose Gardens, a community located in Central Kingston, a vibrant inter-generational initiative came to life on Labour Day (May 23), as Project STAR joined hands with members of the community to plant a vegetable garden.

This newspaper feels compelled to enthusiastically applaud a “community hub” initiative, organised monthly by the private sector-led Project STAR which supports some of Jamaica’s most impoverished neighbourhoods. A story in this newspaper this week relates how the latest such session in downtown Kingston involved collaboration between PATH and National Commercial Bank (NCB) in assisting locals to be registered on the spot for welfare benefits and banking services.