Regarding benefits sharing in reforestation activities the group is aware that long term benefits will be shared among community members, especially from planting of trees, sustainable use of land among others. Participation in knowledge exchange programmes, the group is already a part of the GEF/SGP grantee exchange network through which our knowledge is shared among other NGOs/CBOs, private sector and government. Other knowledge sharing activities will include field trips, site visits, project preparation and submission of reports, workshops and community meetings, develop brochures, posters and flyers.
The Sawyers Local Forest Management Committee Benevolent Society provides equal rights and opportunities amongst members. The group?s Executive body is made of nine (9) persons, five (5) of whom are females. Females within the group participate equally in all aspects of the project from the planning to completion stages carrying out activities such as decision-making on key project activities and public education. Also, persons are appointed based on individual?s capacity and not on gender and women play a vital role in decision-making.
Replication of project activities
The UNDP CO in preparing the GEF 6 project document, worked with Sawyers and other communities within the Cockpit Country which include to scale up of initiatives done by the Sawyers group under the Small Grants Programme, which was seen as best practice. The group was also invited to participate in the consultation sessions that were held. With the GEF 6 project now approved, implementation on the ground will include the involvement of the Sawyers community.
Planning non gef grant
The group has partnered with the Forestry Department who have participated in the environmental decisions of the group and commended the project team and community members for their efforts and dedication in making such an impact and highlighting the relevance of LFMCs in Jamaica. Already the group has been engaged in the GEF 6 project where some of the initiatives will be implemented in other communities.
The Sawyers group will play an integral role in partnering/working with some of the targeted communities under the GEF 6 project to be implemented in the Cockpit Country area. One main challenge that needs to be addressed is the fact that the group had to purchase trees from Forestry
Department to plant in the forest reserve area which once they grow the group cannot have access to these
areas. This is an are that needs to be addressed and already the National Coordinator has indicated that the Country Team will be meeting with the Forestry Department to discuss the matter of co-management arrangement of the reserve. The group is hoping that this arrangement will be
materialised as it takes a lot to manage and sustain these natural resources which we all depend on for survival.
Notable Community Participation
The group is managed by youths and membership is mainly youths. Youth involvement is very high, and they will be specially targeted, also worth noting is this project will be managed by a male youth with great aspirations. Youths will be trained in different areas which will give them the opportunity to acquire additional or new skill and become entrepreneurs. These trainings will be provided by TPDCo (craft making, tour guiding) and RADA (Bee farming). Plans will be put in place so that persons living with disabilities will participate in project activities. One (1) hearing impaired male and two (2) females with speech impediment. Transportation will be made available to take these persons to and fro to meetings, workshops and trainings.
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The primary objective of this project is to preserve biodiversity in the Cockpit County through reforestation efforts and ensuring alternate and sustainable livelihoods of our residents. Approximately 65 persons are expected to directly benefit from this project. Also, approximately 40 youths between the ages of 18-35years (24 females and -16 males) will be employed. Appropriate and adequate training will be in place for the elderly and persons living with disabilities to ensure their participation in project activities. Project activities will be done on privately owned farms (for reforestation) and Agro-forestry plots. The proposed activities, will expands on prior initiatives that will see more residents benefiting.
Policy Influence
This project has influenced the government policy for vision 2030, Goal number 4 to make Jamaica a healthy natural environment. This has been affected in ways where the group has been contributing through project activities
geared towards protecting the community?s biodiversity and and overall protection of the environment. Though the project activities are concentrated in just one community, its has
contributed in a major way to assist the government?s efforts to protect and sustain the biodiversity of the Cockpit Country and by extension help make Jamaica a natural healthy environment. The protection and conservation of the environment is a major focus of the GEF SGP programme. As a
result, their continuous engagement/involvement of NGOs and communities all over Jamaica to participate in activities that benefit the environment is definitely one of the most effective way of achieving goal number 4 of the vision 2030 plan of the government. Locally, the group created its own
policy for the organization, which has now become a community policy, where group and community members who were provided with boxes of bees for honey production, seedlings and suckers for farming are required to give back 5% of their earnings to finance the group and the continuation of
project activities. This project can also be used as best practice to impact government policy on co-management arrangement with LFMC?s.
Capacity - Building Component
Through community meetings that are held monthly and ad hoc, depending on the matters to be discussed, community members are involved in all discussions focusing on community development and capacity building. The SLFMCBS maintains close relations with stakeholders such as the Forestry Department, TPDCo, SDC and RADA. These entities are major pioneers in the area of community development and research and are able to provide guidance based on qualitative and quantitative analysis. Additionally, information is gathered through online reviews of current trend and practices as it pertains to programs which are being implemented. Board members work with these key organizations to develop strategies and programmes for community development. Once a decision has been made regarding the implementation of a program, executives disseminate the information through community meetings and forums. Through these media, dialogue and feedback are fostered and best practices are carried out. Before any project is undertaken or pursued, a vote is taken on the matter and the decision to proceed will be guided by majority consensus.
Partnerships and relationships are maintained through dialogue, accessibility and transparent feedback. Updates are prepared and submitted as required. Communication is maintained through written correspondence and verbal feedback, meeting and public forums. It is anticipated that the project will be evaluated through an independent auditor in order to establish accountability and transparency, as well as by RADA and the Forestry Department.
Project sustainability
To ensure sustainability, the group set-up a 40ft container to continue honey production and crop storage as well as a place for farmers to store their farm supplies to continue sustainable farming practices. There is also plans to get involved in more projects to continue project plans and take on new initiatives that can also benefit the environment and the community.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
We have already established an apiary in the area. Through this initiative, we are demonstrating that it is possible to have alternative methods of generating income. The organization has also been active in sensitizing community members to the benefits of agro-forestry.
Plots have been identified as potential areas for the production of medicinal plants. Older community members are well versed in the use of many of these plants (Aloe Vera, Bissy, Cerasee, Fever Grass et al) in traditional Jamaican medicine. The potential to see them as lucrative means of generating income present a significant opportunity to alter dependence on the old way of surviving. This area has the capacity to create a greater involvement of community members who are chiefly reliant upon farming. It is anticipated that in five years the organization will be able to independently finance any programs required for additional community development. We also see ourselves being used as a successful model for the development of other environmental, social and community programs, based on:
? Project generated reports
? Develop brochures, posters and flyers
? Facilitation of workshops and community meetings with the aid of the Social Development Commission.
? Field trips and sites visits
? Information re: the project promoted at the LFMCBS office.
? Exhibits and sale of products including honey and other bee products.
? Skill such as entrepreneurship improve businesses.
? Farmers reap their own fruits and lumber
? Awareness activities, alternative livelihood programs source and forestation will lead to preservation of the forest due to persons having alternative source of income and the increased knowledge and community participation that educational programs will encourage
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
not applicable
Policy Impact
not applicable
Project Results
Approximately 252 men benefitted from livelihood workshops, environmental awareness meetings and engaging in project activities. Livelihood workshops and activities which included bee training and crop planting were of great interest to the males. This was because most of them were farmers and these trainings helped them to better understand how to carry out bee farming and better crop planting practices which allowed more income being generated for their households.
Approximately 278 women benefitted greatly from this project as they were involved in the craft trainings, tour guiding, livelihood workshops, environmental awareness meetings. The women were pleased to have learnt the craft of screen printing and are now engaging in business initiatives as a result of the training. They were also actively involved in the meetings and workshops as well as crop planting. Some were given pepper seedlings and pineapple suckers to plant on their private lands and from this they are able to generate additional income from marketing crops the correct way as learnt from the workshops that the group conducted.
Just about 147 youths were actively involved in project activities, workshops and meetings and trainings. They also benefitted specifically from honey production, craft training, tour guiding and also agroforestry. Youths within our community are now making products such as wax (for hair), honey and lime(for cold) from the honey they helped to reap from the apiary established by the group. They have also benefitted from the seedlings they were given to plant and we the executive body have been helping them to find buyers for their crops and so with this we are seeing more youths attending our monthly meetings because of the benefits involved.
The specific skills developed by project beneficiaries during the development and
implementation of this project includes: Crop rotation, alley cropping, tour guiding, craft
making, marketing of crops, honey production and making bi products of honey. They also received
knowledge from our environmental awareness meetings which focused on improving farmers
knowledge and skills sets on effective and sustainable land management. Project beneficiaries also
developed the skills of data gathering and tracking the weather pattern through the trainings,
monitoring and use of the Automatic Weather Station that was installed during this project. They
also developed the skills of assessing and monitoring a solar system through the trainings provided
by the supplier Mr. Keith Spence as this was the first ever solar system to be installed in the
community, therefore project beneficiaries were interested to know how it works and how to monitor
this equipment.
A total of J$738,000 (US$5,257)was generated from project activities such as agroforestry and honey
production. The long term benefit to be derived is the creation of employment opportunities for
youths and women who are considered to be the vulnerable groups especially in rural societies. There
is also the opportunity for sustained earning even beyond the duration of the project. Another long
term benefit is the creation of employment through the marketing and selling of honey and scotch
bonnet peppers. Another long term benefit is the use of the AWS in helping us to track the weather
patterns for better outcome of crops
