Projects and Charities

Unique Jamaica has introduced an ‘adopt a project’ and ‘adopt a village’ programme which gives visitors to Jamaica an opportunity to include a community project as a part of their vacation experience (examples are: Community Tourism Village programme, art and craft centres, community reststops)

Unique Jamaica Countrystyle Community Tourism Network offers this to all their clients and most of them have chosen projects which improves the quality of life of communities they visit and also support the Sustainable Communities Foundation’s Product Development Fund. The Sustainable Communities Foundation is a non-government organization (NGO) established by community groups throughout Jamaica and the Caribbean for community tourism and develop partnerships in tourism with communities.

Unique Jamaica endorses this Foundation - for further information please contact Unique Jamaica Co-chairman & Responsible Tourism Committee Chairman, Diana McIntyre-Pike - community@uniquejamaica.com

Unique Jamaica Responsible Tourism Network is presently conducting a survey to set up a Projects/Charities Database which will provide detailed information on community projects supported by the membership.

Product Development Fund–

The SCF Product Development Fund also referred to as the “Project Development Fund (PDF)” or the “Fund” is a special fund to finance community projects under the Sustainable Communities Foundation (SCF). The Fund consists of a facility to provide seed capital in the form of loans or grants for groups/communities within the sectors of Tourism, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Agro-Processing, Fisheries and trading/retailing. Projects has as one of their primary objectives the enhancement of the sustainability/viability of the communities within the project location. The establishment of the PDF is intended to achieve the following broad objectives:

• To foster the social and economic development and sustainability of rural communities in Jamaica
• To promote development in the areas of Tourism, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Agro-Processing, Fisheries and trading/retailing
• To increase the availability of and access to funding for communities and community members eligible under the Programme.